choices of life
by strange1
Summary: Willow faces a lot of choices. It all starts with what college she wants to go to. Plus, she and Oz haven't been clicking. And as she finds out, the older you get, the more choices there are. Alternate season 4. All the gang, but focuses on WT.
1. Default Chapter

This is going to be an alternative season four. But it starts close to the end of season three. It will be a Willow/Tara romance. It's sorta gonna start around the episode Choices. But I will make some changes as I need to. Hope everyone enjoys.

  


Willow sat and looked at the pile of letters on her desk. She still couldn't believe how many colleges were wooing her. As she had told Xander and the others, 'they're pitching woo'. To feel so wanted was very strange.

She couldn't help but reflect on how she had always wanted Xander. It was her childhood and than teenage crush. But he just simply couldn't feel the same way. It was the same with Buffy and Xander. No matter how hard Buffy tried, she just couldn't see him in that light.

At least she had Oz. Or did she. Lately, the two of them had seemed so distant. Again, Willow looked at the stack of letters from various colleges. She wondered if that wasn't the reason that their was a strain. As smart as Oz is, he just didn't really do well in school. He had very limited options.

And, she wasn't sure, but she could feel her feelings for him change. It was like she wasn't really attracted to him. But that was silly. After all they'd gone through with the fluking and the consequences, it would be foolish to lose him now. Especially when she wasn't sure why she was having these strange new feelings.

Maybe she should talk to Buffy. Not that Buffy had had that much great experience with dating. Angel lost his soul. Scott had basically dumped her for no real good reason. But she was her best friend. Maybe, just maybe she could tell her why she was feeling this way.

And yet, she didn't want to mention the school thing. After all, Faith had just turned all evilly on them. Now Buffy had no choice in where she went to college. Willow had all the choices in the world.

A breeze blew through her open patio door. It knocked one of the college brochures to the ground. Hesitantly, she picked it up. It was the one she had been eyeing the most. When she touched it, there seemed to be this spark. And more than just static electricity. It was the weirdest feeling she had ever had.

Before placing it back in the stack, she opened it again. There was an invitation for this weekend to visit the campus. An all expense-paid visit. Willow smiled to herself. She knew that the University of Michigan was one of the best schools in the country. Their computer department was one of the top ten in the nation. That was her main goal. Something in computers.

She looked again at the date. It felt so weird to be thinking about leaving everyone at this moment. The mayor was becoming more and more of a threat. Faith was now on the evil side. And they didn't know a whole lot about this ascension thingy that the mayor had planned. Except that it was, of course, of the no good.

Willow sighed. So many things on her mind at once. So many choices to make. To stay in Sunnydale, what college to go to, keep seeing Oz. She stumbled at the thought. Was she really thinking of breaking up with Oz? And why?

That's when she made her decision. At least one of the many she faced. She looked at the stack of letters. Her mind wandered before she went over to the telephone. With all that was going on, she really hated bothering her.

But Buffy was her best friend, and she'd always said that she'd be there for her anytime. It was closing in on two in the morning. Either Buffy would still be out patrolling and she'd be waking up Mrs. Summers, or she'd get Buffy.

'Only one way to find out. Not gonna sleep with all this on my mind'. Willow picked up the phone. On the first ring, her best friend answered. "Hello?"

"Buffy, it's Willow."

Buffy's voice grew with concern. "Will, is anything wrong? I just got in from patrol. I can be there in no time."

Willow softly laughed. "Sorry. Nothing really wrong. I just need somebody to talk to. There's a lot going on. And I think I need my best friend's advice."

"Oh." Buffy sighed with relief. "You scared me. Do you want me to come over? Or do you want to wait until tomorrow?"

"Well, I'm not really gonna sleep much tonight." Willow sighed heavily. "If you don't mind, could you come over? I know a lot is going on right now."

"That's slayer stuff. Best friend stuff is more important." Buffy hesitated. "Can you at least give me a hint as to what this is all about?"

Willow laughed a nervous laugh. "Choices."


	2. 2

Buffy sat on the bed in Willow's room and watched her best friend pace back and forth. By now, she knew that Willow would come to the point. If only eventually. Sighing, Buffy finally decided that her friend needed a little push. "So, what are these big choices you need my advice about?"

Willow jumped at the sound of Buffy's voice. She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. One of them is, if not for bad timing, an easy one, I think." Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Keeping in mind it's just a visit and in no way means that I'll actually end up going there, I think I'm going there."

"Will, you lost me." Buffy stood up and came in front of Willow. "You can tell me anything, you know that. What is going on? Why would the timing be bad?"

"Well, with Faith going all evilly, and the major going to do the ascension thingy that we still don't really know anything about and the everyday evil, it might not be such a good idea."

Buffy laughed and shook her head. "Will, you've actually gotta tell me what you're thinking. Not just babble. Or I won't be able to help you any."

Willow sighed. She left Buffy standing in the middle of her room. She sat on the bed. Buffy quickly joined her. "Well, the first thing I wanted to talk about, was college."

"College?" Buffy looked surprised. "I just assumed you'd be going to Yale or Harvard or something. I mean, you're the brainiac of us."

Willow shrugged in response. "Well, I've actually narrowed it down to two." She looked at Buffy. "The one is The University of Michigan. It's the reason I'd be leaving. You see, they've offered me an all expense paid tour, if I go this weekend. I'd have to leave today, right after school."

"Today?" Buffy thought for a moment. "Right, it's now officially Friday." She took her best friends hand. "That's so cool. You'd get to see a great school. And think about all the boys. But, you have Oz, so that wouldn't really matter to you, now would it." Willow didn't say anything. "You still do have Oz, don't you?"

Now Willow sighed. "That's just it. Another of my choices. You guys haven't noticed, I guess, but we've kinda been not so together lately." Buffy's eyes widened. "He's still a great guy, but I'm just not feeling the sparkage, not like when we first started dating. And he seems to be hanging with his band a lot."

"Wow!" Buffy sat silently for a few minutes. "This is so huge. Especially after what you guys went through with the whole fluking thing."

"You think I don't know that?" Willow got up and started pacing again. "I was so scared that Oz wouldn't ever forgive me for what I did to him. And than, yay! He did." She shook her head. "But now, it's even worse than when he found out about me and Xander. There's no kissage. Hasn't been for a couple weeks."

"Willow, this is so huge." Buffy sighed. "Are you gonna break up with him?"

"That's the million dollar question Buffy." Willow eyed her best friend. She wondered if Buffy could handle the rest. Willow shook her head trying to clear her thoughts. Would Buffy understand that she had been noticing herself attracted to other girls? "I think I've made my mind up."

"Well, whatever you decide, you know I'll be there for you. Especially if you do break up with him." Buffy stood and put her hand on her shoulder. "Even if it is what is best, it's still gonna hurt."

Willow shook her head. "Not that. I'm talking about going on the tour this weekend."

"Oh." Buffy smiled. "That's cool. Maybe it'll help give you time to think about your relationship with Oz. Any other things all bottled up in the witchy red head of yours?"

"Maybe." Willow smiled at her look. "You know me, Buffy. "My mind is always at full speed. There is one other thing that I will want to talk to you about when I get back. It's something else that I think I need away time for a little perspective. It might help with the Oz situation."

Buffy shook her head. "You're doing it again. Talking in riddles."

Willow smiled. "Hopefully when I get back, I'll have some of the answers I'm looking for. We'll just have to wait and see."


	3. 3

Willow was in awe. The campus was even larger than she had imagined. It was unbelievable how many computers that could be in one place at one time. She had just come from the computer science building. Her mind was still kinda jumbled. The cold air wasn't helping. She really wasn't paying attention.

That's when she bumped into somebody. Both had books in their hands and they ended up on the ground. Without even looking, Willow began picking up her books and the ones belonging to the stranger she'd just bumped into.

"I'm so sorry. Here. Let me get those for you." Willow handed the stranger the books. She finally looked up. When she did, her breath caught in her throat. Standing before her, was the most beautiful blue eyed blonde she had ever seen. She couldn't take her eyes off the other girl.

"N-no problem." Her blonde hair fell over her face. She kept her gaze towards the ground. "I-I wasn't really looking where I was going. I-I've never been to a p-place that is so big."

Willow shook her head. Her mind finally processing what the girl had said. "Me either." She smiled. The girl still stared at the ground. "My name's Willow." She held out her hand to the gorgeous blonde.

Finally, she looked up. "I-I'm Tara." When their hands met, there was this spark, like static electricity, but yet different. Both quickly pulled their hands away. "A-are you on a t-tour too?"

Willow nodded. "Yeah. I'm from California. I love the computer program they have here, but I'm not sure if I could ever get used to the weather."

Tara finally smiled. "I-it's not that bad. You get used to it after a l-little while."

"I guess." Willow shrugged. "So, are you really thinking about coming here? Me, I'm leaning towards UC-Sunnydale myself."

"UC-Sunnydale? W-where's that?" Tara asked.

"Well, it's in Sunnydale, California, where I'm from." She shrugged. "Not that I wouldn't like to see the world or another state, but I think I'm going to stick close to home. Besides, they let you pretty much build your own classes. It's pretty cool."

"Sounds i-interesting." Tara again looked at the ground. "M-maybe I'll have t-to check it out. T-this school i-is a little too big for m-my taste."

"I know exactly what you mean." Willow smiled. "Gee, it was really nice meeting you. And I was worried I wouldn't meet anybody cool."

"I-I'm n-not cool." Tara looked up and shook her head. Her hair kept brushing across her face as she did.

Willow thought she looked so cute as she tried to deny her coolness. This girl was just so cute, period. It was like they were supposed to have met a long time ago. That they belonged together. "Listen, I know we just met, but would you like to exchange like addresses, both standard and electronic?"

"Electronic?" Tara asked with a puzzled look.

"You know," Willow smiled. "E-mail. It's my little joke I always use that nobody ever gets but me because I'm like the biggest computer nerd that ever lived and I'm one of the most boring and dullest people that ever was born."

Tara let out a small chuckle. It was like music to Willow's ears. "That was funny. I don't have a c-computer r-right now. And I-I'll be m-moving to a dorm this fall." Willow's face got a little sad. "But, i-if you w-want, y-you could still g-give me yours. O-once I'm s-settled s-somewhere, I'll be s-sure to give you my addresses. B-both standard and e-electric."

Willow's face brightened. "That works. I'm mean, if you really want. Like I said before, you're just cool. There's something about you." Willow looked at her watch. "Darn, I'm late for my next tour." She looked at Tara's pretty face. "I hope we can at least write to one another. It would be even cooler if we actually see each other again."

"I'd like that." Tara held tightly the paper on which Willow had written her addresses. "I-I will write t-to you. I p-promise." Tara watched as Willow followed the path to the library. 'She's so cool. And I wonder what that spark was about when our hands touched.' She shrugged at the thought. Before she had come to The University of Michigan, she had been thinking about going to a college in Canada. The farther away from Pennsylvania the better.

She continued to stare after Willow, even though she was long gone. 'Maybe it was fate that I met her. Maybe something is telling me California is the place to be. If I did go, at least I wouldn't be alone. I'd possibly have a friend waiting for me.' She shook her head. 'She'll probably forget about me in two seconds. I'll always remember her, even if we never meet again.'

Willow was now in a tour of the library. It was so boring, which was weird. She usually loved libraries and all the books they had to offer. But her mind kept wandering to a certain blonde. Definitely not Buffy. This new girl that she would probably never hear from again. After all, she had no way of contacting her. Like Tara would ever write to her.

Her eyes widened in realization of something. She was worried that Tara wouldn't write to her, not just because she was cool. It was because she was so attracted to her. 'Well, that answer that other question I had burning. I've decided on a college, now I have to breakup with Oz. I wonder if Buffy will understand when I tell her why. If I tell her. Darn! Yet another choice I have to make.'


	4. 4

Willow still couldn't believe that they had blown up the school. She was standing, looking at the burnt remains. It was weird seeing it like this. It kinda made her think about her relationship with Oz. She had yet to tell him that she wanted to breakup. Her mind also wandered to a certain blonde that she was sure she would never hear from again.

There had been zero kissage since she had gotten back from her trip to The University of Michigan. Oz and Dingoes were getting more and more gigs and most away from Sunnydale. There never seemed to be a good time for her to tell him how she felt.

She had decided to go to UC-Sunnydale. It only made sense. She could learn about her new witchcraft and the wiccan way. And she could continue to help Buffy with the fight.

Buffy. It was sad how Angel had left. Willow watched Buffy putting on a brave front for the others. But as her best friend, she knew what it was really like for her. And Buffy being the good person she is, she made time for Willow and her deal with Oz. Buffy was the only one that knew that Willow was going to breakup with Oz.

Willow saw the headlights coming down the street. Once they got close enough, she could tell it was his van. She started breathing heavily. 'Gotta breathe. Gotta calm down.' Her breathing turned almost into hyperventilation. Before Oz could stop and park, she made her way over to the stone bench they had all sat on after the school had been blown up.

Oz slowly walked over to her. She watched him coming. It was as if he knew what was coming. He really didn't want to face her. 'Oh, God,' she thought. 'I can't do this to him. He's been so great. And I really do still love him. What am I going to do?'

"Hey." Oz came up and sat beside Willow. Her breathing was still a little too fast. "Are you all right?"

"Uh, yeah." She looked deep into his eyes. But she turned her head. She just couldn't look him in the eye when she said what she had to. She took a very deep breath. She started to say, 'I think we should breakup when..'

"Willow." She turned to face him again. "I think we both know why we're here."

"What?" Willow looked all worried. Could he really tell that she was going to breakup with him, or was it something else. "You know why I wanted to talk?"

Oz did one of his half smiles. A rarity. It broke her heart to see the look on his face. "It's O.K. I've felt the same for a while now. I just didn't want to say it. I still love you."

"I love you too, Oz." Tears started to form in her eyes. "But there just hasn't been any sparkage. Not for quite a little while. We haven't spent any time together, except for doing research for the big battle. And even then, we were really distant. I.." The tears started to fall. "I think it is best if we do breakup. We can maybe find somebody that we have sparkage with again."

Oz sighed. "I think you're right." He took her hand in his. "You'll always be my first real love. I hope you know that." He stood, and started walking towards his van.

"Oz." He turned to face her. "You were my first real love, too. I just wanted you to know that." He actually smiled before he turned quickly towards his van. She watched him until she couldn't see his taillights.

Classes were going to start in two weeks. Willow, even though she knew she had done the right thing, had pretty much been depressed since she broke up with Oz. She pretty much was walking around in a daze.

She still had so many choices to make. Buffy only knew that she and Oz had drifted apart. She didn't know the other reason for the breakup. Willow was still dreading that conversation. Most people were a little shocked, but most accepted. After all, just because she had realized she was gay, didn't mean that she was a different person.

Willow sat in her bedroom, alone. It was how she spent most of her nights. Xander was off doing his road trip thing and Buffy was busy doing the slaying thing. She just wished she had someone to talk to.

Her mother yelled up to her. She quickly walked down the stairs. Her mother handed her an envelope. "It came yesterday for you. I forgot to give it to you. Sorry, Sweetie."

Willow stared at the envelope. It had no return address. It was postmarked out of Las Vegas, Nevada. She really didn't know anyone there. No relatives, and definitely no friends. She ran back upstairs and tore it open. She had suddenly gotten this weird feeling that it was from her.

_Dear Willow, I finally got the courage to write you. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about college, yet. As soon as I do, I'll send you my address. I really enjoyed our brief time together. That sounds weird, seeing we only talked for about five minutes. I just felt that there was something special about you. I hope to meet you some day again. If not, we can write back and forth. I don't want to lose you. You seem like a good person. Those are so hard to find these days. Hope you are doing well. I really miss you. Tara_

Willow's heart soared as she read the few words Tara had written her. She read the letter over and over again. 'She thinks I'm special. She misses me?' Willow let all this sink in. 'I've missed her too. I think.' She shook her head. 'How could I? I don't even really know her.' Instantly, she knew. 'I am, aren't I?' She smiled to herself at the thought. But it also hurt. She was sure she would never see this girl again. 'One thing is for sure. There's no turning back. I better have that talk with Buffy.'

She picked up the phone. Buffy answered. "You busy Buffy 'cause I got something huge to talk to you about."


	5. 5

Buffy stared at her best friend. The word huge wasn't even close to describing what Willow had told her. Buffy's mind was trying to process what was just said. It was really mind blowing.

"Uh, Buffy?" Willow finally ventured. "Are you all right? You're not freaked, are you?"

Buffy shook her head to clear it. She hesitated before she finally said, "not freaked. Just surprised. How long have you been feeling this way?"

Willow shrugged. "It's part of the reason that I broke up with Oz. There aren't any specific girls that I'm interested. At least not in Sunnydale."

Buffy's face grew into a look of surprise. "You've already found somebody. Who doesn't live in Sunnydale."

Willow couldn't help but smile at her best friend's tone. "Remember when I went on that visit to U of M." Buffy nodded. "Well, I uh kinda had this brief encounter with a really special girl."

"Encounter?" Buffy raised her eyebrows. "And just how brief and special and do I really want to know the details?"

"Not like that!" Willow sighed. "We just talked. And not really about much and not long. There was just something about her. The minute I looked into those blue eyes of hers, I knew. And when our hands touched, there was this spark of some kind. I'm telling you it was like we were supposed to meet. We are meant to be."

"All right, miss hide things." Buffy smiled as Willow began squirming. "Who is this girl and when do I get to meet her. She seems to have captured my best friend's heart."

"Uh, well, um, you see..." Willow began staring at the floor. "There's just a little problem."

"Will, what's the matter? Doesn't this girl get how special you are?" Buffy put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll have a talk and straighten her out. You are one great catch."

Willow smiled at the thought. Buffy was accepting what she had said already. And she was even trying to help her out. "Well, you see." Willow sighed. "That's the big problem. I don't know where she is."

"What?" Buffy again shook her head. "Is this girl the love'em and leave'em type, 'cause if she is, she'll have to deal with me."

"No, Buffy. It's not like that." Willow looked into her eyes. "She was on a visit to decide which college she wanted to go to, just like me. She told me she was going to be moving soon and so she didn't give me her address. But.."

"But," Buffy gently prodded.

"She did send me this." Willow handed Buffy the letter that was already getting worn from Willow having read it so many times.

"She's really into you." Buffy looked at her best friend. "So now all you have to do is track her down and make her come be with you. That is what you want, right?"

"If I could, I would." Willow stood and began pacing. "I don't know if this sounds weird or not but I think I'm already in love with her. And I mean in love. Even more than I was with Oz. But I don't know where she is. What am I going to do? My heart hurts at the thought of not ever seeing her again. To even be friends would be wonderful."

"Boy, have you got it bad." Buffy teased. "I wish I could tell you what to do. You didn't even get her last name, did you." Willow shook her head. "I hate to say it, but it looks like you've got to wait and see if she writes again.

It was two weeks later. Willow was about to leave for her first day of college. The excitement she felt was a little overwhelming. But she was also very sad. She still hadn't heard from Tara. That meant that she had decided on another college. And that she didn't want to at least be friends.

She walked down the stairs and glanced at the table her parents set her mail on. Her heart did a little flip when she saw that there was a letter. She had patrolled the night before with Buffy, and hadn't checked to see if she had mail.

She grabbed the letter and tore into it. It again had no return address. She didn't look at the postage mark. The scent of a very familiar perfume made it to her nose. It was from her.

_Dear Willow, Again, I'm sorry it's been so long since I wrote. I've been busy moving. I'm almost settled in now. It won't be long and I'll be able to e-mail you as well as give you my address. It was a tough decision, but I think I made the right one. Everyday, I think about you. I hope you still think about me. I still miss you. The weird thing is, I feel like I know you. If we do see each other again, I hope we can talk about something. I think I can trust you with it. Next time I write, I promise to give you my address. I wish we could see each other in person. I miss your red hair and green eyes. Tara_

Willow's eyes grew at the last sentence. The woman was fixating on her looks. Did that mean she was too? Maybe. But she shouldn't get too excited. By the sounds of the letter, she had made her choice of schools as well. And since she didn't share, it must mean that it wasn't here in Sunnydale.

Willow's first class was Psychology. She and Buffy were taking it together, Buffy very reluctantly. Willow was noticing a little flirting going on between Buffy and the TA. Riley had seemed very nice in the bookstore. Maybe this was the guy to get Buffy over Angel, or at least not to be so depressed.

"That was an interesting class." Buffy said on their way out.

"Lot's of details on the first day, but that's Professor Walsh for you." Willow began walking towards her second class. "Sorry, Buffy, but I've got English Lit. I'll see you back at the dorm later."

"Yeah, I've got my next class." Buffy watched her friend for a moment. She than went to her own class.

Willow was already in the classroom. She sat in the fourth row back as she did in most of her classes. Looking around for any familiar faces, she sighed as she didn't see any. That's when a familiar voice startled her.

"I-is this s-seat taken?" Tara's beautiful face was hidden by her blonde hair.

"Tara!" Willow stood up quickly. "But, I thought, since you didn't leave any address that you were not coming here that you were going elsewhere and that I would never see you again or never hear from you again at all." Willow took a breath.

"Y-you really are q-quite the talker." Tara smiled shyly.

"Speaking of talking, didn't your last letter say you wanted to share something with me?" Willow smiled as the blonde's cheeks reddened considerably. "Sorry, didn't mean to push. It's.. I just thought I'd never see you again, and here you are."

"Y-yes." Tara sat down. Willow followed suit. "I-if you're not busy after c-class, w-we could m-maybe have c-coffee and talk."

Willow smiled even brighter. "Coffee sounds good. And than you can tell me why you decided to come to UC-Sunnydale."

"I thought that would be obvious." Tara's cheeks reddened even more.


	6. 6

Willow could hardly contain her excitement. She was actually sitting across from the blue eyed blonde that had penetrated her thoughts all summer long. They were going to the same college. They even had several of the same classes. Would it be too much to hope for that she too was interested in more than friendship. Her head shook as she realized that Tara was saying something.

"I felt something, w-when we shook h-hands." Tara smiled nervously at the red head. She, in her heart, knew that Willow only wanted friendship. But that was better than nothing. But there was this strong connection between them. It must be nothing more than magical.

Willow nodded. "Me too." Willow's heart soared at the thought that Tara was actually thinking that there was more than friendship. That must be what she was talking about.

Tara took a sip from her mocha. Her throat felt so dry, suddenly. "I-I don't k-know if you'll think I-I'm crazy, but I'm a-a w-witch."

Willow's eyes widened in surprise. Her heart also sunk into her chest. 'This is what she wanted to tell me. Not that having someone to do spells with isn't great. But I want so much more from her. Maybe more than she has to give.' "I'm a witch, or at least learning about witchcraft myself. Have you checked out the campus wiccans?" She managed to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"N-no. Have y-you gone to any of their m-meetings?" Tara's blue eyes sparkled in the afternoon sun.

For a moment, Willow was mesmerized by the twinkling. "Haven't yet. Maybe that could be something we could do together. If you want. Don't mean to push. It's just that I've never had anyone else that was magically inclined, well not for a long time anyways. And I have so much yet to learn." Willow found herself breathing hard. It was the thought of spending anytime alone with the blonde woman. She was just so darn sexy.

"I-if you g-go with me, I'd l-love to." Tara actually looked up and smiled. It was a rarity and again made Willow's heart do a strange soaring flop. "M-maybe there are others t-that are magically inclined."

There was that sinking feeling again. Was all that Tara wanted friendship? Or was she just trying to find her way in a new place with as many fellow wiccans as she could find. Tara's shy smile warmed Willow's heart. Again, if it were only friendship, than friendship was all she got. At least the woman would be in her life.

"I think they meet this Thursday at four. If you don't have a class, maybe we could go together and check it out." Willow gazed at the woman across from her. She was trying to find any sign that she was interested in her the same way.

Instead, Tara bowed her head and sighed. "I don't h-have a class. W-we can meet at y-your dorm."

Willow's heart jumped. 'Am I ready for Buffy to meet this angel that sits across from me. Especially since I don't know if we can ever be more than friends.' She shrugged and asked, "you know where I live?"

Tara looked up at the red head with those shy blue eyes. "T-that's the f-first thing I-I did. I-I wanted to know w-where my f-friend lived."

Willow's heart did another somersault. She was getting dizzy with all the emotional leaps. But to be around her, it was worth the sacrifice. "I am. You're friend." Willow sighed as she said it. She knew that she had probably sealed the relationship as nothing more than friendship. But she didn't care. She desperately wanted her in her life. It was like she needed her to live. It was the strangest feeling.

Tara did another one of her half smiles. She glanced at the clock on the wall behind Willow. "I-I'm sorry but m-my next c-class starts in t-twenty minutes." She started to get up. "I'm you're f-friend too. I-I'll see you Thursday." She quickly left.

Willow's heart sank as she watched her go. 'Yep, definitely resigned to just a friendship.'

It was now eight that night. Buffy was preparing to do her usual patrolling. Willow was lying on the bed. Her head was buried in the pillow. Buffy knew what look meant.

"Will, what's the matter." Buffy quickly came over and sat on the end of her friends bed.

Willow rolled over. She half smiled at Buffy. "No use in denying it to you. You know me to well." She turned to a half sitting position, resting her head on her knees. "I think that Tara's not interested in me the way I am her."

"What gave you that idea?" Buffy scooched closer to her best friend. Willow had already told her about Tara and the witch thing and the wicca group.

"She said I was her friend. Granted it was after I said she was my friend." Willow had small tears at the corner of her eyes. "I thought I could handle just a friendship with her. But now, I'm not so sure. Now that I've actually gotten to know her a little, I'm more in love with her than ever. I'm not sure we can be just friends."

"Wow, Willow. I'm not sure what to say." Buffy put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "You've got a big decision to make. Do you try and stay friends, or do you risk losing her and telling her how you feel."

Willow now let the tears fall. "I wish I knew."

Meanwhile, Tara sat all alone in her dorm room. She too, was crying. Her heart was aching. She knew that the red head couldn't really love her. Not the way that she did her. But to have had the word friendship. It just about ruined any chance that the two could be anything more than friends. Unless, of course, she was brave for once. Maybe she should be bold and make the first move. And risk her one friend she had in Sunnydale. Without Willow's friendship, she had nothing. What was she going to do?

Thanks for all the kind reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying my story. Not sure exactly where I'm going with it or how long it will be. As long as you keep wanting me to, I'll keep writing. I love Willow and Tara together. They are the greatest.


	7. 7

Willow's heart was beating faster than she could remember it ever beating. Buffy kept looking at her funny. It was Thursday and closing in on the appointed time that she and Tara were supposed to meet. They had that wicca meeting to go to.

Willow jumped at the sound of Buffy's voice. "Will, you've got to calm down. Why are you so hyper all of a sudden?"

A smile crept across the red head's face. "Because she's coming and you're going to meet her for the first time and I hope you like her because if you don't it will really be of the bad if my best friend doesn't like my girlfriend.." She stopped her babbling at the last word.

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Did I miss something? Did you talk to her and tell her how you feel?" She was getting excited for her best friend. Willow looked away from Buffy's gaze. "Or was that just a little wishful thinking on your part?"

A huge sigh escaped the wiccan. "It was only wishful thinking. I so want her in my life. It's hard to imagine her not being in my life. But can I handle just being friends if that's all she wants."

The slayer shook her head. "You have so got it bad. This is worse than when you and Oz first tried getting together." Buffy shook her head. "Not to add to your already growing list of concerns, but what about the other things in your life. You gonna tell her what you do sometimes at night for fun?"

Willow snapped her head up and looked at Buffy with an almost mark question on her face. Than it dawned her and a sad smile crept on to her face. "You mean, the slayer stuff." Buffy nodded. "That one is sorta easy. I mean, not to explain and believe, but I want her safe. If she knows the things that go bump in the night are real, than she can at least be a little prepared."

Buffy smiled. "I think it's for the best. Even if you're just gonna be friends, that could put her in danger. More than the unsuspecting danger of the everyday."

Willow literally jumped up when there was a soft knock on the door. She smiled sheepishly. "That's probably her." She walked over and opened the door. Indeed, the blonde goddess was standing there with her head slightly bowed as always. And looking more beautiful than ever. "Tara! Come in."

Willow stepped back and let her fellow wiccan in. "I-I hope I'm n-not too early." She stopped when she saw Buffy smiling at her. "Y-you have o-other plans. I-I'll go." She quickly turned to leave but Willow gently grabbed her arm.

"Tara, this is my roommate and best friend, Buffy." Willow smiled as a look of relief shown on Tara's face. 'There still might be a chance. Oh, goddess, please let there still be a chance'.

"Hey, Tara. Nice to finally meet you. Willow says some really nice things about you. In fact, she can't stop talking about you." Buffy held out her hand as Willow shot her a look. Tara slowly took it. "I've got a class in a few. Why don't I let you two hang out before the big meeting." She walked to the door. Tara was staring at the floor. Buffy mouth, "she's really shy. But I like her. Tell her. Tell her everything."

Willow began blushing a little as Buffy shut the door. "We've still got a few minutes before we have to leave. Do you want anything to drink?" Her mind was busy trying to figure out what exactly she should tell the other woman. All these things she wanted to say, but just wouldn't come out.

"N-no thank you." Tara finally looked up. She could tell that Willow was a little uncomfortable. Was it her? Was she the reason that Willow seemed to not want to be here? And her cheeks were the cutest shade of pink.

Willow took a deep breath. "I think there's something we need to talk about."

Tara's head jerked up. "Y-you d-don't want to be friends. I-I understand." Again, she headed for the door.

This time, Willow came and stood between the blonde and the door. "You don't understand." She swallowed hard. This was the scariest thing she ever had to do. She'd faced vampires, demons, a giant snake, and this was the scariest of all. With one little word, the other woman could shatter her whole world. But it was time. It was long over due. No other person had gotten to her like this woman had and as quickly. Willow tried to keep her eyes on the other wiccan's but it was proving difficult. "I..."

Tara stepped closer. Her breathing picked up noticeably. Her mind was cluttered with thoughts that the red head was trying to tell her that she was interested in her more than friendship. That she was in love with her just like she was her. That was just too much to hope for. "W-what is it t-that I d-don't understand." Braver than she had ever been, Tara took Willow's hand in her own.

Willow couldn't help but smile. That was the sign that she had needed. It was as if the other woman was reading her mind. That she needed this little prod to be able to tell her what she so wanted to tell her. "I know it's only been like a week since we've really known each her not counting that visit to U of M and all but I can't help but feel the way I feel." Tara's blue eyes were sparkling at her. It gave her the final push to say the words she had longed to say for so long. "I'm in love with you." Willow turned her head away. She couldn't bare to see the look if she had been reading the other woman wrong.

Tara's gentle touch on her face made Willow turn towards the blonde. There was that shy smile that she loved so much. "I'm in love with you, too."

With those simple words, Willow's heart did a dance. Her smile was so huge, it was almost blinding. Before she knew what she was doing, she had pulled the blonde into a tight embrace. There lips were touching. Exploring one another. It was like she had been so thirsty and the only way to quench that thirst was to keep drinking Tara in.

Finally, they broke the embrace. Both their breathing was a little ragged. Both of their cheeks were quite flushed. They just stood staring at each other, holding hands.

It was Tara that finally spoke first. "A-are w-we still going to the m-meeting?" She took her right hand and stroked Willow's left cheek.

Willow quickly shook her head. "Now that I've finally got you, I'm not sharing you with anybody. Not for a little while." Willow swooped in for another long kiss.


	8. 8

Willow's heart was soaring. Not only had she finally gotten the girl of her dreams, she was now on her way meet for their first date. The choice had been scary as to confess her feelings for Tara. But it had all worked out. And now she had a girlfriend. A magically inclined girlfriend. Buffy was excited for her. Xander hadn't returned from his road trip, Giles hadn't been told, and than, there was her parents.

That thought made Willow's heart stop for a moment. That would be the next tough decision, now wouldn't it. Would she or wouldn't she introduce her new girlfriend to them. It's not like they had ever really taken an interest in her life before. Only the one time when her mom almost burned her at the stake. And what about Tara's family? Did they know? And where did she come from?

It was at that moment that Willow realized how little the two knew about each other. She still felt that the two of them were always meant to be and that she loved her more than life itself. Nothing could happen to change that fact. At least, nothing she could think of.

A sudden thought scared Willow more than anything. In all the excitement of finally finding one another and the prospect of their first date, she had forgotten to warn Tara about the dangers of life. The life she lead along with the slayer. Her paced quickened considerably as she had some sensation that the blonde was in trouble. Her world was in danger.

Sure enough, right outside Tara's front door, Willow came upon a very scary and disturbing scene. A familiar bleach blonde figure had a hold of her precious blonde. Willow began running for the two figures. Her mind was racing with what spell she could use to fend off the evil beast.

Just as the figure was about to bite her everything, Willow grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. His vampiric features didn't change into human. Instead, his face got a leering look on it. Than he smiled an evil smile.

"Red, long time no see!" Spike let go of Tara and started for the red head. "We really must get reacquainted."

Willow moved quickly and stood in front of the blonde. "Stay the hell away from her, Spike!"

"Well, well!" Spike's eyes grew wider. "We've got a new playmate I see. How nice. How pleasant of you. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm going to have a little snack before supper. You can be the dessert."

Tara grabbed Willow's hand. Both felt this instant energy flow between them. Their minds worked as one. Before either knew what was going on, they had their free hand raised. Both began chanting. "Goddess, please grant us safe passage. Allow not this unclean thing to follow."

Spike stared at the two for a moment. "Well, now. You've gone and gotten more powerful, haven't you Red." He took one step towards the two joined witches and was instantly thrown back four feet. Quickly, he made it to his feet. "All, right! That's cheating. You two are some kind of powerful adversaries." His features slowly turned back to human. "This makes things a little more interesting. The dance with Buffy was getting boring. With you two in the mix, it will be oh so exciting. Be seein ya."

Both watched as Spike faded into the shadows. Willow pulled on Tara's hand and made her follow her into her dorm room. The little twinkling of the lights that Tara had hung around the room was the only light in the room.

Willow could feel that Tara was shaking. She gently guided her to the bed and made her lie down. Suddenly, she realized she was shaking too. Not because she was afraid for herself, but because she could have very easily lost the new woman in her life. It was not a feeling she liked very well.

"Tara, baby, are you all right?" Willow gently kissed her forehead. When Tara didn't answer, Willow got into bed with her. "I'm so sorry. I was so stupid. I should have warned you about what could happen if you were to hang around me and my friends."

That snapped Tara out of her trance. "Y-you knew t-that v-vampires are real?" Her voice was so weak that it nearly broke Willow's heart.

"I really should have told you, but we happened so fast and I was so excited that you felt the same way that I did and I didn't want to scare you because I was still afraid and am still afraid of losing you." She sighed heavily. "There's no good excuse. I can just tell you now, so that next time you might just be a little prepared."

"N-next time?" Tara sat up and looked down at Willow. "Y-you m-mean there's going to be a n-next time?"

"That's what I said when I first found out that vampires are real." She propped herself up on one elbow. "There will always be a next time. The easiest way to explain is to say that everything you feared is real, is real." She shrugged. "But there is some good. Buffy."

Tara raised her eyebrows. "T-that vampire. H-he mentioned B-Buffy too. What's s-so special about her?"

"There is one girl in all the world that is chosen to fight vampires and demons. She's called a slayer." Willow watched Tara carefully. "That would be my best friend. And that vampire, Spike, well, we've had run ins with him before."

"This is all s-so s-strange." Tara did a half smile. "B-but it d-does explain a lot." She stared into Willow's green eyes for a long time. "T-this is some f-first d-date."

Willow couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry. I was so looking forward to going to the bronze with you. We could be dancing together now. Instead, I'm having to explain that there are baddies in the world. And how we have to look forward to facing them every day."

Tara took Willow's into hers. "W-we can s-still dance together, i-if you want."

Both girls stood up. Tara went over to the little CD player she had. Soft, slow music began playing. She came over to Willow and took her into her arms. They danced for a long time. They were so into holding one another, Willow forgot about all the questions that had been running through her mind and that she really should call Buffy and Giles to tell them about Spike. Her girl was safe, and now she knew the score. Willow inhaled the flowery scent of Tara's hair and sighed. If only every day could begin and end like this. And there was another choice. So many choices to face.


	9. 9

Willow and Tara walked hand and hand in the bright sunlight. After what had happened the night before, the sunlight felt so good to Willow. Not that she hadn't enjoyed their alone time. It had been wonderful. But they still really hadn't talked much. That was something she was going to have to do something about. Another choice rearing its ugly head.

And speaking of choices, she had called Giles and Buffy to let them know about Spike being back in town. She had also found out from Buffy that Xander was back. He was going to be at the Scooby meeting that they were now on their way to. It would be weird, but she would have to tell her other best friend and her mentor. Tara was a part of her life. Hopefully for the rest of their lives, part of her life.

"W-what exactly is a S-Scooby meeting?" Tara's blonde hair glowed in the morning sunlight. Her blue eyes twinkled and it made Willow's breath catch slightly.

Willow took a deep breath to get herself centered. Being close to Tara sometimes made her mind wander. "We get together and discuss whatever bad guy activity there is. Remember, I told you that Giles used to be Buffy's watcher. He still helps her fight the forces of evil. Just like Xander and I do. I just wish I was more powerful in the witchy area. It could come in real handy if the right baddie were to come along."

Tara squeezed Willow's hand. "Y-you are v-very powerful." Her radiant smile made Willow's heart skip a beat. "I f-felt it t-the first time w-we shook hands. Y-you j-just don't know h-how powerful."

"I found out one thing last night." Willow smiled at Tara's curious expression. "You like supercharge me or something. You make me even more powerful. I love you for it." She paused her walking and gave her a long kiss.

"Willow, long time no see..." Xander trailed off when he took in the kiss. Both Willow and Tara turned to see Xander with a look of shock on his face. "Uh, Will, have I been gone that long? Is this like some alternate universe I've been brought into 'cause you know its happened before."

"Xander, be nice." Willow took in the cute way Tara's face turned bright red. She did her usual looking down at the ground. "You're not in an alternate universe, but you were gone all summer and I had no way of getting a hold of you and yes this is what it looks like and I'm really happy so be very nice to her or I'll get a little cranky." Willow could feel her own face turning a nice shade of red. It wasn't because she was embarrassed by her relationship with Tara, it was because of her nervous rambling.

Xander held up both his hands. "Sorry, Will." His face turned back to the loveable one that she had once had a crush on for so long. "But you gotta admit, you and me having a thing for the ladies is kinda, well, surprising at the very least. Is this why the meeting of the Scoobs was called?"

Willow smacked Xander's arm. "Xander, this is Tara. And she is part of the reason that I had Giles call the meeting. I'll explain when we get inside." Xander shrugged and all three went inside Giles' apartment. Buffy was already sitting on the couch.

Giles looked up from the desk table and said, "Willow, just the one I was looking for." He stopped when he saw Tara. "Oh, hello." He smiled in his Giles way.

"Giles, Xander, this is Tara." Willow beamed proudly to be introducing her girlfriend to everyone. "I told you Spike was back in town." Giles nodded. His eyes wouldn't leave the blonde girl. "Tara and I were going on our first date when..."

"Date?" Both Giles and Xander said at the same time. Buffy laughed from her sitting position on the couch.

"Yes, date." Willow's face began to blush again. "The short of it is, Tara and I met at U of M. I didn't think I'd see her again. Yay! She did. We've started seeing each other. Any problems with that?" Willow's resolve face began showing.

"That's perfectly fine." Giles smiled at her. "It would just have been nice if you'd told me before."

"Yeah, Will, ya kinda sprung it on us." Xander noticed how Tara kept her eyes on the floor. The Scooby in him wonder if she were hiding something or if she was just painfully shy. Living on the hellmouth, one never knew. He'd have to have a talk with his best friend later. He turned to Buffy. "And you seem to be enjoying all of this. Did you know?"

"Well, yeah." Buffy shrugged at both Giles and Xander's glares. "Well, hello! Roommates. Best friends. Living in the same space, it's kinda hard to hide things."

"Like the fact that Buffy has a new boyfriend." Willow smiled at Buffy's look. She knew it would get the attention off from Tara. Tara's face was so bright red, Willow was worried she was going to pass out or something.

"Thanks, best friend." Buffy sighed, knowing she'd have to spill. "I don't know if you'd call him my boyfriend, but I have had some interesting talks with a guy named Riley Finn. I'm just taking my time, and not rushing into anything."

Xander shook his head. "Geez! A guy goes away for a few months and everything changes. Remind me never to leave again. I may just come home to a hole in the ground."

Even Giles laughed a little. "All right. Now that we've all apparently caught up on the changes that everyone's been through this summer, I really do need to speak with Willow. I think I know why Spike has returned. He's looking for the Gem of Amara. It is said to make any vampire that wears it impervious." At the look Xander shot him, he continued. "The vampire could not be killed."

"Why do you need me?" Willow looked all concern. And what was now becoming a natural habit for her, she took Tara's hand in her own. She always drew strength and comfort from their contact.

"I believe I need a locator spell to find it." Giles shrugged. "And I do believe that a spell to destroy the gem may be inevitable."

"A spell?" Willow smiled in eager anticipation. She turned toward Tara. "That means you and I get to do some good guy stuff and work the magicks."

Giles raised an eyebrow. "Tara is also a witch?"

"She's very powerful. And she knows things I don't. She's gonna teach me a lot of things." Willow again smiled in anticipation. She just wasn't sure if it was because of the spells or spending time with Tara.

"Two women doing spells." Xander got a dreamy look on his face. "That's something I'd like to see."

Everyone in unison, except Tara, shouted, "Xander!"

He just shrugged. "Well, a powerful ally. That would be a pleasant surprise for once." Giles smiled at the blonde.

Willow almost started bouncing up and down. "Spike said something about the two of us together. I mean, me and Tara. What do you think he meant by that?"

Giles suddenly looked grave as he remembered something about the Gem of Amara. "I'm afraid that the two of you together at the moment could be very dangerous. I may have to ask that you two stop seeing each other for a while."

a/n Hope you guys are still enjoying. Again, thanks for all the kind reviews. I think I'm starting to get a direction. If anyone has any ideas, let me know. This will still be W/T centered, but I want the others involved. I'll keep writing.


	10. 10

Willow and Tara had left Giles' apartment after his pretty shocking summary of why he thought the two of them should stay separated. Willow had argued, but to no avail. They were now back at Tara's.

Willow watching the blonde very carefully. 'There's now way in hell I'm going to let her get away. I don't care what Giles says. This can't be something that I have to do. I won't give her up after just finding her.'

Tara had little tears in the corner of her eyes. "I-I guess this i-is it." One little tear rolled down her beautiful cheek.

"No!" Willow quickly came over and kissed the tear away. "I'm not losing you now. I don't care what Giles thinks he knows. He has been known to be wrong before and there is no way that I'm giving you up and it's so not fair that we have to be the ones to sacrifice our relationship so that Spike doesn't get the Gem of Amara." She stood breathing heavily. Partly because of her little rant, but also because of the nearness of the blonde.

As Tara looked at Willow, there was a little half smile on her face. "W-Willow." She put a perfect hand on her face. "I-I'm not h-happy about it either, b-but we have to do w-what is right. You k-know that in your h-heart." There was a heartbreakingly sweet smile on the blonde witch's face.

A sigh escaped Willow. But the smile on Tara's face about broke her heart. "I.." It was no use. She knew that Tara was right. According to Giles, the Gem of Amara had to be 'activated' and by some fairly powerful witches. How the two of them actually fit into that category was beyond her. Most of her potions still came out soup. Even with Tara's help. "I know you're right. But my heart doesn't want to listen. If the spell didn't take witches we would probably be all right."

"B-but it does." Tara's smile broke and in its place was that of total sadness. It was something that Willow had never seen before and it made her want to scream. "W-we don't have t-to stay apart f-forever. Just until S-Spike isn't a-a threat anymore."

"You don't know Spike." Willow sighed heavily. "He'll keep up until he has the Gem. And if he can't find others to activate it, he'll find some way to kidnap us and do it. He's done it before. I mean the kidnaping thing."

"Oh." This brought on an even sadder face from the blonde. 

"Maybe we can find some way of locating the gem. If we find it before Spike does, we can than destroy it before he comes looking for it or us." Willow shrugged. "I think I'm reaching, aren't I." Again she sighed heavily.

"B-but for a g-good reason." Tara, who was usually so shy, brought Willow into a passionate kiss. Finally, breaking the kiss, "y-you're doing it for l-love."

Willow smiled again. "Darn right!" She took her fellow witch into her arms. "Now that I found you, I don't ever want to let you go. And this just stinks. Why are we the ones that are having to make the sacrifices and I think I kinda already said that only in not exactly the same words and wow even I'm amazed at my babbling." She pulled back and laughed a little. "I will find a way so that we can be together. Even if I have to take Spike out myself."

"W-Willow, no!" Tara quickly pulled her into another hug. "D-don't e-even think like that. Y-you c-could get hurt. I d-don't want to loose you. I-I j-just found you too."

"It's all right, baby." Willow held her tight. "I'm going to get with Buffy. Maybe between her slayer might and my witchy knowhow, we can come up with something to get rid of Spike. And this time, for good."

Willow was pacing outside of Tara's dorm room. It was two days after Giles had basically forbidden the two of them to see each other. Only while they didn't know where the Gem was or how to destroy it. But it was still not seeing each other and for a potentially long time. Buffy and Willow had patrolled to the wee hours trying to track down Spike. Willow had tried several locator spells. The two had come up empty.

And now, being away from the blonde for that long was getting to her. She knew that she shouldn't be here, but she just couldn't stay away. Tara was becoming her everything. She was oxygen. She was essential to her even living. Even with the possibility of putting the world in danger, she had to see Tara. If only for a few minutes. And the time they spent in class together definitely didn't count.

Finally, Willow knocked on the blonde's door. "C-come in."

Willow opened the door. A sight that she never thought she would see. Tara was sitting on her bed. There was a petite, dark haired girl sitting next to her. And they were holding hands. Tears formed quickly in Willow's eyes. "I'm sorry, I should have called first."

"Willow!" Tara shouted after the red head.

But Willow didn't stop. She ran and ran and didn't stop until she was safe back in her dorm room. She locked the door behind her. The thought that Tara just might come after her was a big possibility. And she so wasn't ready to see her. Maybe they were just friends. Maybe they were working on a project together. But sitting on the bed? Holding each other's hands?

Willow shook her head, trying to get the tears to stop falling. But it was no use. She knew her heart was breaking. If she'd only followed the right choice and left Tara alone, she wouldn't have seen the horrific sight. But she might not know that Tara was...

What exactly was it that Tara was doing. Again, it could have been something innocent. She often sat on her bed holding Buffy's hand, not! Only when Angel had gone all evilly and when Angel had told her he was leaving her. Maybe that was it. Maybe it was all innocent.

A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts. The knock became banging. "Hey, Will, you in there?" Willow quickly got up and opened the door for Buffy. "Thanks. My hands are kinda full. Me and Riley went on a trip to the mall. You know he's an unusual guy when he actually suggests a shopping trip and.." She turned to see the hurt look on Willow's face. "God! What's wrong? Are you all right?"

Willow shrugged. "I'm not sure what happened. I did something stupid. I know I shouldn't have but.."

Buffy gave Willow a big hug. "What exactly did you do and why are you crying and why was it stupid?"

Willow managed a little smile. "I did what Giles told me not to and I saw something that I never thought I'd see and now my heart hurts just thinking about it and if I'd been good I'd never had to see and maybe it wouldn't hurt so much."

Buffy shook her head. "That was English you were speaking, right?"

Again, Willow smiled. "I went to see Tara." Buffy's face became one of surprise. "And she wasn't alone."

"Will, you're not serious?" Buffy shook her head. "Tara's not the kind of girl to move on so quickly. And once you've fallen for Willow, you stay fallen."

A huge sigh escaped Willow. "It's just that she was sitting on her bed with another girl and they were holding hands. I mean, we've done that when I was helping you deal with Angel and when I screwed up with Oz. So it could be just a friendship thing, right?"

"Will, of course it was just a friendship thing." Buffy again hugged her best friend. "Tara's not the kind to cheat on you. She's too sweet. And again, I say, once you've fallen for Willow you stay fallen. Her friend was probably going through a rough time. Listen, let's patrol again tonight. Maybe if we can get rid of Spike, you two can work this out. Or, you could go to see Giles and see if he's come up with anything that will help with finding the gem thingy."

Willow shrugged. "I guess. I could see if Giles found out anything new. If he has, than maybe we can get rid of the gem and than Tara and I can get back together and work this out 'cause that's what I really want. I can't even imagine my life without her. It's like I need her to breath. You know what I mean?"

Buffy smiled sadly. "I know what you mean."

"Oh God!" Willow got a little panicky. "I didn't mean to bring up Angel. Not like that. I'm so sorry. I know you know what I mean. You two were definitely the two."

Buffy laughed. "I love your riddles. What do you say, I go kick a bleached blonde's ass and you go find out what a former librarian knows. That way we can get you two back together."

"Sounds like a good plan." Willow was the first to open the door. Standing, looking as if she were going to knock, was Tara. "Or maybe not."


	11. 11

A/N I've been told by some that have read this that parts of this chapter should be classified as PG-13. So please read with caution. It's just because I let the Willow/Tara romance blossom a little. If I've offended anyone before I gave it this rating, I'm sorry. I hope everyone enjoys.

"Damn that slayer and her watcher." Spike yelled to no one in particular. All his vampire lackeys turned to stare at him. They had each been trying to locate the Gem of Amara in various volumes and texts. "If they had just stayed out of the way, I could have that witch and her lover." He began pacing. His time frame for finding the Gem was narrow. It would only be three more days that the Gem could be activated. "Bloody hell!"

Harmony walked up to Spike. "What's the matter, Blondie Bear? Has somebody gotten up on the wrong side of the crypt this morning." She smiled at his glare. "What is the deal with this Gem anyways. It doesn't sound very pretty or valuable. Why are you so hot to get it?"

Spike ran up to Harmony and grabbed her by the throat. "I don't need your sodding praddling on. We need to find the Gem and we need those two witches together to do it. Or can't you get that through your sodding head?" He gripped her tighter before throwing her to the ground.

Harmony was about to say something, when a short, dark haired vampire burst into the cave. "I have news." Spike glared at him. "I've been following the red headed witch today. She went to see the blonde. But she ran out."

"And this is supposed to be cheering me up?" Spike shook his head and took a couple threatening steps towards the vampire. "If this is what you call bloody news, you'd better think again. Or I'll see that you and the slayer have a nice little meeting. Or, better yet, you and I can have a nice little meeting."

The vampire began shaking. He took several steps backwards. "S-Spike, there's more." Spike simply nodded. "The blonde witch is now there with the red head. Right now, the slayer is there too, but I got the feeling that she wasn't going to stick around. This could be our chance to grab the two and then..."

"And then, I can have the Gem like I should have by now." Spike grinned his evil grin. "If you weren't all sodding morons, I would have it." He shrugged. "Still, if we can get those two magick types here, than I can have what I've been searching for." His grin widened. "I think it's time we have a little party. But let's all watch out for the slayer, now shall we."

Willow's voice squeaked as she spoke. "Tara. What are you doing here? Not that I'm not glad that you're here but after what happened you don't need to give me an explanation, plus we're supposed to be doing the grownup thing." Willow's face reddened at the possible meaning of the sentence. "Oh! I didn't mean _the_ grownup thing, just doing what we were supposed to so that we didn't endanger the world 'cause if I had done the grown up thing, I never would have seen what I seen and now you wouldn't be here and it wouldn't be so awkward."

Buffy stared at her best friend. She broke her gaze away from Willow to see the blushing blonde wicca. "Willow, relax and breathe. You're going to suffocate if you don't."

That got Willow's attention and a small smile out of Tara. "What? Oh, right." She smiled sheepishly. "You still going to patrol, Buffy?" Willow's eyes pleaded with her to say no and to please stay.

"Uh, yeah." Buffy smiled at the uncomfortable look Willow got on her face. "And I'm going to stop by Giles' and see if there's anything new. If you need me, call me there." Before Willow or Tara could say anything, she was out the door.

Willow half smiled at Tara. "Uh, come in." She let Tara slide by her. She shut the door and locked it. She had a funny feeling that there might be trouble with the two of them so close. Trouble of the bad guy activity and not the other. After all, they'd only kissed. They hadn't done the thing that two people did when they were so much in love with each other like they were. Goddess! Even her thoughts were rambling now. "So..."

"W-why did you t-take off so f-fast?" Tara's blue eyes were sparkling. But there was also some hidden pain. It was something that Willow didn't like seeing.

And she had caused that pain, by running out on her before getting a full explanation. She should have stuck around and found out what really had happened. "I.." She sighed heavily. It was no use in lying, she had to tell the truth. "I thought that I walked in on something that was, er, private."

Tara's cheeks reddened even more. "N-no!" A little nervous laugh escaped the blonde. "N-not even." She took a step closer to the red head. "W-we're j-just friends, Kira and m-me."

"Kira?" Willow knew that name from somewhere. Granted, the two didn't really know that much about each other and that was still something she wanted to rectify, but that particular name did sound familiar. Her friend from back east! The one that... Willow swallowed hard at the thought. "You mean, your..." She trailed off. She couldn't even think about possibly finishing that thought. It would break her heart into a thousand pieces.

"Y-yes." Tara's gaze held the floor now. "S-she was m-my girlfriend." Finally, she looked into the green eyes staring at her. "B-but t-that was a l-long time ago." She tried to smile. But her fear of losing Willow was too great. The thought that the red head might not believe her explanation. "S-she was there b-because of y-you." Her voice was very quiet.

"Me?" Willow took a couple steps towards the blonde. Her own green eyes searching the blue ones for answers. "I was the reason that your ex-girlfriend was sitting with you on your bed holding hands with you. That's sounds a little..." She trailed off as the sparkle in Tara's eyes told her everything she needed to know. Tara wasn't interested in Kira. Not like that, not anymore. They were just friends now. And she had needed somebody to talk to because her world had been taken from her for who knows how long. Willow knew the pain that Tara was in. She was in the same pain. Buffy had been there for her. But now, the woman of her dreams was standing in front of her. Waiting. Seeing if she understood and could relate. Willow smiled big. "You needed somebody to talk to because you felt that your world was falling apart."

Tara nodded. "I-I knew y-you'd understand." She moved closer to the red head. "I-I'm sure that y-you and Buffy have s-spent some time, t-talking as well." Willow nodded. "W-we b-both just needed somebody t-to talk to."

"It should be each other." Willow smiled. "We shouldn't have to be separated. I know I've said it before, but it's just not fair. We've only now found each other. It is so unfair that we have to be the ones that sacrifice our relationship just so that the world doesn't end. Although.." Tara looked questioningly at her. "Buffy kinda had to do that when we were juniors. She had a relationship that turned out to have some bad consequences. The earth almost got sucked into hell."

"W-wow!" Tara smiled shyly. "D-do you t-think that's what our r-relationship could be?"

Willow shook her head. She slowly made her way over to the blonde. "I don't think so. Even if it does, I just can't do the right thing. I tried, but after two days, I was having some major withdrawals. And only your lips on mine could possibly make those withdrawals go away." She was now standing in front of the blonde. Her heart was racing faster than she could ever remember it beating. She remembered how things had felt with Oz. As much as she loved him, it just didn't compare. It could never compare. Not to what the two of them shared and would always share. She took the other woman's hands in her own. Tara kept her gaze fixed on their joined hands. "I want you, Tara. In every way possible."

Finally, Tara slowly looked up. There was a smile that Willow had never seen before. It wasn't the shy smile or even the proud to know you smile. Instead, it was a smile that sent shivers up and down her spine. It was a smile that said that she wanted her too. In every possible way. That they could no longer let themselves be bullied by some damn prophecy. They had to live their lives. To the fullest.

Being more daring than she had ever been, Tara put her hand on Willow's right breast. Willow couldn't help but smile at the thousand sensations flowing from the witch's touch. Her head was beginning to spin. She felt Tara pull her closer into a tight embrace. Their lips touched, tenderly at first. But the longer they stayed in contact, the more want and need came through. The two, not only wanted each other, they needed each other to live. They were each other's oxygen. The reason that they got out of bed in the morning.

Willow found her hand wandering up and down Tara's back. She could feel the shivers of pleasure her touch was bringing. All the while, their lips were never a part. They were always as one. Willow moaned, as again, Tara did something more bold and daring. Her tongue invaded her own. The sweet taste of the blonde was almost intoxicating. Again, Willow found her head spinning. Her senses were all on an overload of pleasure she thought she'd never feel. But she did. This extraordinary woman that she was drinking in was the reason. Only her touch and feel and thought and scent could bring the goodness that Willow was so willing to accept. It was the first time that Willow had ever felt anything like this.

Suddenly, Tara pulled away. Both of their breathing was ragged. Willow blushed at the sight in front of her. She hadn't remembered unbuttoning Tara's blouse. Those perfect breast were before her. Just so tempting to touch. Willow also realized that she too, was nearly topless. As her breathing returned to normal, she looked deeply into the blonde's eyes. There was only one question to ask. "Why?" Why had Tara stopped giving her the sustenance she so desperately needed and wanted. Why had she broken the most pleasurable embrace she had ever known. Why were they just standing, half clothed, when they could be standing before each other in their natural glory.

Tara's smile was again that of a shy girl that Willow loved so deeply. "W-we h-have to." She put one hand on Willow's flushed face. "W-we have to b-be grownup."

Willow couldn't help but smile. She knew in her heart that Tara was right. They would have plenty of time to continue getting to know each other. It was time to make the tough decision and stay a part. Hopefully, not for too long. "You're right. I hate that you're right." She smiled. "We will just have to be strong for a little while longer. Than we can continue this learning about each other that we were about to do."

"I-I want that v-very much." Tara slowly began to button up Willow's shirt. "I-I've never f-felt like this b-before."

A huge smile made it to Willow's face as she clumsily buttoned up Tara's blouse. Her hands wanted to continue unbuttoning it. "I know what you mean. This is all so new and different and intense. You are the first person I've truly been in love with and the first person I lust after. What a difference that lust thingy makes."

Tara chuckled softly at Willow's words. She knew exactly what the other woman meant. Kira had been her first love. But she just didn't have the pull that Willow did. It was as if they had been slowly searching for each other for the past several years. And now, it was the time and place for them to be together. Except, their being together could also spell big time doom.

Willow pulled Tara into a hug. "I think I'd better call Buffy. Just to let her know that we're all right and that we know that we'll be there for each other when it's safe for the two of us to be together. No use in destroying the world. If we do, than us being together won't really be an issue." Willow's smile warmed Tara's heart. "It's just going to be very hard to stay away from you. I've got a taste for you now. You are like a drug that I'm addicted to. Only a beautiful drug that wouldn't harm anybody. Only make me stronger."

The door to the dorm room burst in at that moment. Willow took Tara into her arms. "Spike!"

"Hello, luvs. Miss me?"


	12. 12

"Where's Willow?" Giles asked as Buffy and Xander walked into his apartment without knocking, yet again. "I was hoping she would be here. I have something that I need her to look over."

"She had something to take care of." Buffy threw herself onto his sofa. "She'll be here in a little while. Don't get that worried look on your face. She'll be here soon."

"She's not with Tara, is she?" Buffy's face showed the answer to Giles' question. "Really." He shook his head. "I really thought of all of you, that I could rely on her to do the right thing. This is just too much."

Buffy shook her head. "Listen, Giles. We all know the score. The dangers that are out there. But we are just humans. Sometimes those human emotions get the better of us. All of us." She glared at her former watcher. "Or do I have to do the little reminder of some older gentleman who went all revengy on me two years ago and nearly got himself killed in the process."

"Well, it's not..." Giles got a flustered look on his face. "It's not the same thing. The circumstances were different."

"How so, G-man?" Xander took a seat next to Buffy. "I mean, love is a powerful thing. We all know that it makes you do the wacky from time to time. Like getting a novice witch to do a love spell that went just a little wrong."

Buffy laughed. "A little? I was turned into a rat. I had the need for cheese." Xander squirmed next to her. "But I also still remember what the gentleman you were and how hard it was for you to be that gentleman. I'll always be grateful."

"What more could a guy ask for than the never ending gratefulness of a beautiful girl that he will never have a chance with in a million years." He shrugged. "I so need to find a girlfriend. Maybe I should ask Will for some pointers. After all, she just came out and she's already in a solid relationship. Or at least I think it's solid." He turned towards Buffy. "Not to sound all overprotective or anything, but how much do we really know about Tara?"

Buffy shrugged. "Not much. Just that she wouldn't tell Willow where she was from, wouldn't talk to her until she showed up here looking for her, and that she apparently is a powerful witch just like Willow." Her eyes grew wide. "I think I'm seeing your point and not necessarily liking it. We really don't know anything about her." She shook her head. "I'll talk to Willow. See what she knows and if she's going to find out more if she doesn't. And what about this Gem thingy."

Giles sighed heavily. "I was hoping that your discussion would eventually get back to what is the current apocalyptic event that we shall be endeavoring to stop."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "It's been upped to apocalyptic? When did that happen? I knew you said it could be of the bad if Spike were to get his hands on the Gem and be able to activate it. Since when has it become of the apocalyptic?"

"Well, I did some research last night. Actually.." He took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "I called the concil."

"Giles!" Buffy stood up and began pacing. "You called those guys that put my life in danger and didn't even care enough to say sorry, good job." Buffy shook her head. "What exactly were you thinking?"

"That we had pretty much used up all of our resources." He shrugged. "I even called Angel in L.A. He has limited knowledge of the Gem of Amara. And even less knowledge of how to destroy it. He did tell me that on occasion he has seen Wesley. I was waiting for Wesley's phone call when I decided I had better just bloody well do something constructive. I felt terrible for having to tell Willow and Tara not to see each other. They appear to be quite close. And I wanted them to be together. We should all be so lucky to find somebody that we care about."

Buffy stopped pacing. She got a huge grin on her face. "You aren't your typical stuffy Brit, now are you." She smiled even larger as Giles' face blushed slightly. Suddenly, her smile faded. "It's still really of the bad that Willow and Tara are together, right?"

Giles looked at her suspiciously. "Buffy, what's going on? What aren't you telling us?"

"Willow's alone with Tara right now."

"Two pretty ladies." Spike smiled at both Willow and Tara as they clung to one another. "This is a grande sight indeed. I can't wait for the two of you to have lived out your usefulness. Two delectable treats such as yourselves are hard to wait for."

"Blondie Bear, I thought I was your delectable treat." A pouty, whiny voice came from behind Spike. One that was oh so familiar to Willow.

"Harmony?" Willow's voice was full of surprise as Harmony shoved Spike out of the way. "You're a vampire?"

"Well, duh!" Harmony leered at Willow. "How else do you think I'd get to hang around with my Blondie Bear." She eyed Willow some more. "And you're gay now. A lot of changes since we graduated, huh?"

"Enough of this crap!" Spike shoved Harmony back into the hallway. "It's time for the two of you to come with us. You have important things that need doing."

"We won't go with you and you can't come in." Willow stood taller. Her mind was racing with a million spells. None of which seemed right for the situation. She could see at least five other vampires besides Spike and Harmony. The odds were definitely in not in their favor.

Spike laughed his laugh. "You really have a lot to learn about all this, don't you Red. See, even though this is your living quarters, it's also a public building so.." He slowly stepped into the dorm room and towards the two witches. "That's not exactly a problem for us vampires. We've got an open invitation." He leered at the two.

Again, Willow's mind was racing. Spells. Weapons. What on earth was she going to do if Tara was hurt. There was no way that she would give up now. She had too much to look forward to. She and Tara barely knew each other. And they had that little thing that they had been in the middle of to get back to.

Willow tried to get to Buffy's closet. Spike quickly jumped in her path. It really didn't seem like there were many options at this point. There were too many vampires for them to use the spell that had shielded them from Spike. If only she had gotten that fireball spell down. But half the time, everything exploded. And she didn't want to hurt anybody else. Only these seven vampires that were threatening them.

"Nice try, Red." Spike laughed. "You don't have any options at this point." He turned around quickly at the familiar sound of a vampire being turned to dust.

Harmony ran into the room and cowered behind Spike. "She's here, Spikey. Buffy. The slayer is here to kick our asses."

"Oh, bloody hell." Spike saw that his five minions were no more. Buffy was standing in the doorway, smiling. Behind her was her watcher and the boy. "You've always got to bollocks up my plans you stupid bint." He glared at the slayer.

"What can I say?" She smiled even larger. "Those darn good guy things get in the way every time." She moved closer. "So, you ready to have our next little dance, Spikey?"

"Another time, slayer." He ran towards the window and crashed to the ground. Harmony was right on his heels.

"Thank Goddess you showed up when you did, Buffy." Willow made her way over to Buffy and gave her a big hug. "Who knew that a vampire didn't need an invitation into a college dorm room. That's scary. And I'm going to look into a way of changing that as soon as we're safe with the Gem." She could feel Giles' eyes glaring at her. She pulled out of her hug with Buffy. "I'm so sorry, Giles, we should have stayed apart. But it wasn't Tara's fault. It was mine. I was the one that went to her and I'm the one that couldn't control myself and that's not gonna be an issue because I've learned that once we get rid of the Gem, Tara and I can be together without putting the world in danger and that's what matters. Not that we don't matter, but hello, end of the world. I think that's bigger."

Giles' expression softened greatly. "It's all right, Willow. I do understand. And I'm sorry that I said that the two of you should stay a part. While the two of you together could unlock the Gem of Amara, it was unfair that I forbid you to see one another. In fact, I believe that I was wrong. I'm happy for the two of you."

Willow turned towards Buffy. "He looks like Giles, but the words don't make Giles sense. They make us sense. What exactly happened."

"I kinda reminded him of some other times." Buffy shrugged. "He remembered what it was like to be in love and how much pain it caused when that love was taken away." She looked over at the blonde witch who was standing silent, with her head looking down at the floor. "Are you all right, Tara?"

Willow turned on her heels and made her way over to the blonde. "Baby, are you all right? You must be terrified." Willow took her into her arms. The woman was still shaking. "I'm here. You're safe. We're both safe. And did you hear Giles? We don't have to be a part. We can stay together."

"N-no, w-we can't." Willow backed off from the hug. "W-we almost d-destroyed the w-world by being c-caught together. W-we should b-be a-apart." She put her hand on Willow's right cheek. "I-it's for the b-best."

"No!" Willow kissed the blonde tenderly. "I won't leave you alone. You think that this is the end of Spike trying to get to us?" She turned to Giles. "This is something we overlooked. Wouldn't it be just as dangerous for us to be separated? I mean, if Tara is on her own, who's going to be there to protect her. She should stay here, with Buffy and me. Or at your place. But we should be close and with someone that can help keep us from the clutches of Spike."

"She's right, G-man." Xander smiled. "The two of them are in as much danger separately as they are together. And if they stay with one of us, than we can help keep an eye on them." He took a step towards Willow. "The two of you would be a more powerful team when it came to looking up the witchy stuff, now wouldn't you two?"

Willow smiled. "There's that." Willow took Tara's hand in her own. "She has so much knowledge. Stuff that I don't know. And stuff that I don't think you know, either Giles. We need to be together. We'll be careful. I promise. Holy water, crosses, stakes, garlic, you name it and we'll carry it. Until we take Spike down."

Giles simply nodded. He sighed heavily. "I feel that you two can be alone together if you take the proper precautions. That means that you two would not necessarily have to stay with Buffy or at my apartment."

Willow's eyes widened at the thought. She also felt both her and Tara's hands begin sweating. There was this instant heat suddenly between them. Like they both knew that they were going to be free. Free to finish what they had so lovingly started earlier but had held back so that they didn't harm the world. Her smile was so large that it took up her whole face.

"Tara does have some spell books that we don't have in her dorm room. We can spend the next few days doing some research." Willow squeezed the blonde's hand. She let go and grabbed her duffle bag. "I'll just take a few things and we can spend a little time together." Willow zipped the duffle shut. "Doing research. Research only." She added nervously.

The three watched as Willow and Tara made their way down the hallway. Xander was the first to say anything. "Why is it I don't see a whole lot of research going on in this scenario?"

Giles sighed. "They don't even know that the can also make the world a place where all vampires can exist without fear. Not just the holder of the Gem. We have to go after them and tell them."

Buffy shook her head. "In the morning. Let's give them tonight."


	13. 13

Willow watched as her blonde girlfriend went through yet another volume of witchcraft books that she had inherited from her mother. Tara had finally told her that her mother had been a witch too. And that is how she already knew so much. Her mother had taught her when she was very young. But she had died only last year. The volume had mention of The Gem of Amara. If they could just figure out how to find the gem, they'd be able to not have to worry about Spike or any of his minions.

It had surprised her the restraint that the two had found. After what had happened only hours ago, Willow was sure that they would have given into their need for one another. But they had both decided to do the grownup thing. Besides, Willow so wanted their first time to be under more special circumstances. Not that the two of them together in any way wouldn't be special. She could see every little detail in her mind. Romantic music, soft candle light, rose petals on the floor and bed, and of course the two of them together.

Tara looked up, as if she could sense that Willow had been staring at her. "Any luck?" Willow quickly asked. She had to get her mind off the scene that she had just had in her mind. It would take a lot of resolve for her to keep her hands of the beautiful blonde if she continued with those thoughts.

Tara shook her head. "You?" Her voice sounded so sexy. No, that was just her mind playing tricks on her. Had to focus. Had to keep on the task at hand. Tara's skin glowing in candle light. No, gotta think unsexy thoughts. "W-Willow?"

Willow shook her head to get the distracting thoughts out of her head. "Sorry. Having a lot of trouble concentrating with you so close." She smiled big. Tara was sitting on the other side of the room, while she was stretched out on the bed. "Not that we're close, but we're in the same room and you are so beautiful and intoxicating and I can't seem to keep my mind on this book I keep trying to read and ..." Her cheeks reddened at her babbling. "Sorry about that."

"I'm n-not." Tara smiled big. "A-and I understand." She half shrugged her shoulders. "Y-you're sexy t-too." Tara began looking at the floor. Willow could still see how bright red her face was behind the cascade of blonde hair.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Willow saw the hurt look on Tara's face as it snapped back up to look at her. "I mean the us trying to do research when all we really want is to be in each other's arms and this is so not fair."

"B-been said a few times." Tara found her smile again. "W-we can do this. W-we are g-grownups. W-world in d-danger. That's m-more important."

Willow sighed heavily. "You're right. I've just never met anyone I'm so dang attracted to. I do mean, completely, totally and in ever way imaginable. It's harder to control than anything I've ever known."

There was a knock on the door. "I-I wonder w-who that could b-be." Tara quickly got up and opened the door. "Kira?" There were tears running down the face of Tara's exgirlfriend. "W-what happened?" Kira only shrugged. "Come in."

Kira took two steps in. She noticed Willow stretched across the bed. "I've come at a bad time, I'll come back later." She quickly turned to go.

Willow was the first to react. "Wait!" She got up off the bed and came to the door. "You're not interrupting anything other than a study date. Come in."

Kira looked from Willow to Tara. "Are you sure?" Tara nodded her head. "'Cause it won't hurt my feelings if you two want to be alone. I would totally understand."

"We can tell by the look of you that you are the one in pain. I know I'm not your friend. We only know each other because of Tara, but I'd like to help, if I can." Willow smiled brightly. The other woman's presence took her mind off the doom that surrounded her relationship with Tara and the sexy thoughts that wouldn't leave her mind.

"T-tell us w-what's wrong." Tara smiled sweetly at the woman. She knew that she was in real pain. Kira never cried.

"Well, I had been seeing somebody, but she just dumped me for a guy we both know." She shrugged. "It's bad enough that she had to crush me, but with a guy? How horrible is that."

Willow couldn't help but smile. "Listen, again, I don't know you very well, but how about a night on the town. Do you feel like Bronzing it tonight?"

"Bronzing?" Kira looked at the red head curiously.

"Well, whenever me or my friends were a little down, we'd go to The Bronze and have fun." She shrugged. "Or at least try to have fun. It didn't always work."

Tara smiled at her girlfriend. She was willing to give up the research and the alone time to help someone she really didn't even know. The woman was truly and simply amazing. "T-that sounds l-like fun. Isn't that w-where you were g-going to take me on our f-first date?"

"Yeah, until..." Willow looked at Kira knowing she couldn't say what really happened. "Until I had that family emergency and had to cancel on you. This could be like a first date all over again. Only we won't really be on a date but a night on the town to forget all our troubles and not worry about things that we don't want to."

"Wow!" Kira eyed Willow. "I can't believe that you said that all in one breath." Willow shrugged. "You guys are really something else. I'll be back in a second. I could really scare somebody the way I look." She walked out the door."

"I'm going to call Buffy or Giles to let them know we're going out." Tara eyed Willow. "Just in case one of Spike's minions should show up, somebody will know where we were supposed to be and if we're not there, they can come looking for us."

"T-that's a good idea." Tara watched Willow as she dialed the phone and left a message at both Buffy's and Giles'. "Aren't t-they u-usually h-home?"

Willow shrugged. "Giles, yeah. Buffy still on pat..." She cut herself off as Kira came back into the room. "Wow! You look great." Kira had redone her makeup and straightened her clothes.

"Thanks." She eyed Willow for a moment. "Were you saying something when I came in?"

"No. Just doing my babble thing that I do so well that seems to both confuse and interest people and when I get real nervous it seems to get worse..." Willow smiled sheepishly. "Kinda like now, I guess." She shrugged. "So, we ready to Bronze it?" Both Tara and Kira nodded. "Let's get out of here."

Kira lead the way as Willow and Tara walked hand in hand. Willow had her duffle bag with her. Along with the clothing, she had brought the essential vampire fighting essentials. The Bronze was a little ways from campus and a lot could happen. She didn't want to take any chances, especially with Spike still after them.

Kira turned down an unfamiliar road that turned out to be an ally of some kind. Willow looked back and forth. It appeared to be a dead end alley. "Kira, I think you might have taken a wrong turn somewhere."

"Oh, really?" Kira turned around. Both Willow and Tara huddled closer together. Her face was that of a vampire. "I couldn't have come in without the invitation. That was one hell of a counter spell you two came up with. I can see why Spike so desperately wants the two of you. You are more powerful than I ever thought you were."

"Oh, Goddess!" Willow heard footsteps behind them. She turned to find at least fifteen vampires slowly closing in. There was the sounded of a cigarette lighter clicking behind her. She turned again. "Spike. And his many minions. How very not good." She held Tara even tighter in her arms. Her hand made its way inside the duffle bag.

"Well, well." Spike shook his head. "You've always been a trusting lot, even though you know all of the things that go bump in the night are real. When are you ever going to learn, Red?"

She watched him inhale and exhale the smoke. "Evil is evil. But good is good. We will always win against the likes of you." Willow found her hand wrapped around a bottle of holy water. She slipped it into Tara's hand that was tucked between them. As discreetly as she could, she rummaged around some more and found a stake. "Or have you forgotten how many times Buffy has kicked your butt?"

Spike shook his head. "But Buffy's nowhere to be seen, now is she, Luv?" He smiled his evil smile. "And that means you and your blonde lady are in a heap of trouble."

Willow shrugged. There was a spell going through her head. She was hoping that Tara would think of the same one. If the vamps attacked, it would buy them some time. Time for what, she had know idea. But it would still buy some valuable time. "But you forgot something, Spike."

Spike took several steps towards the red head. "And exactly what is that, pet?" He again puffed away on his cigarette.

"We are two powerful witches." She smiled with a confidence she didn't necessarily feel. "And we have ways of defending ourselves, whether you choose to believe that or not." Her smile faded a little as Spike took several steps towards her. "I'm warning you Spike. Stay back or we'll unleash our power on you. And you won't like it. Not one bit."

"Try me." At that moment, all the vampires converged on the two huddled witches.

Buffy opened the door to the room that she shared with her best friend. It felt so lonely when Willow was gone. Granted, it was the first time that Willow hadn't been there since the two had started classes, but it still felt very lonely. But Buffy was very happy for the witch.

Her relationship with Riley hadn't exactly been going anywhere. They were still in the awkward stages of trying to get to a first real date. He seemed really nice. But he also seemed to be hiding something. The same way she was hiding the fact that she was the slayer and had to fight evil things at night. She shrugged her shoulders. At least she possibly had someone. Unlike Xander who was still alone. And Giles hadn't had anybody since Miss Calendar had died. Both were more alone than she was.

Buffy sighed heavily as she threw her slayer bag onto the bed. She went over to the refrigerator and grabbed a soda and a yogurt. She popped open the tab of the can and made her way to the bed. The light was flashing on the answering machine. "Ooo, a message. Maybe Riley got finished with grading papers early."

She pushed the play button. "Hey, Buff. Will here. If you get this message, come join me and Tara at The Bronze. I know we're supposed to be laying low, but Tara's friend is hurting right now. We thought that a night at The Bronze might just be the thing to cheer her up. I wish you'd come too. We haven't had a lot of quality time together since we started college. Get Xander if you do come. We'd both really like to see you guys. Maybe we can all cheer up Kira together. Hope to see you later."

Buffy rolled her shoulders. Willow had been happy. No note of fear or any danger or anything like that. Than why were her slayer senses telling her that her best friend was in trouble. It was beyond weird. But she knew better than to ignore them. Especially with all that was happening.

She picked up the phone. "Xander, Buffy. I think something might be up with Willow and Tara. No, not her dorm room. The Bronze. Meet me there as soon as you can. And Xander, come loaded up." She hung up the phone.

Again, there was this tingling that ran up the middle of her spine. "That's it," she said as she grabbed her slayer bag. She quickly restocked it with the necessities of her job. "Will's definitely in trouble. I just hope that I make it there in time." Buffy bolted out the door as fast as she could.

A/N Thanks for the kind reviews, especially PhoenixJay27. I really appreciate the kind words. I will continue to update as often as I can. I'll say this, I'm going to keep going for quite awhile if everyone wants me to. I have a few more story arcs for Tara and Willow. And I'm going to start involving the gang a little more. Again, Thanks a lot. The reviews make me want to keep writing more.


	14. 14

"What do you mean, there's nothing the matter." Xander was getting out of breath trying to keep up with Buffy. "You said that you had a bad feeling about Willow. But the message she left didn't say anything was wrong?"

Buffy shook her head. She was trying to see her friend in the mass that was The Bronze. The bad was playing loudly, making it difficult for her to hear what Xander was saying. "Did Willow call you? Did Giles?" She had to yell to be heard.

"Neither." Xander scanned the crowd. "She's not here. If you're still worried about her, we better see if we can find her somewhere else." Xander's last words shouted into the silence as the band finished their song. Most of the crowd turned to stare at the two. "Sorry."

"Let's get out of here. My slayer senses are really tingling right now." She sighed heavily. "I wish Giles had been home. I left him a message to meet us here. I'm thinking that Spike is somehow involved in this." They quickly made their way to the exit. "I really think we're going to need backup." She looked around as they got outside. They heard a clunky sounding motor from the alleyway. "That so has to be Giles."

Both took off towards the sound. Before they could make it to the alleyway, a gray Citron slowly came around the corner. It stopped beside Buffy and Xander. "Get in. If you think Willow is truly in danger, it might very well be faster if we use my mode of transportation."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure about that?" He simply glared at her as she got in the passenger seat. "Sorry. But my slayer senses are saying that we really need to move. And now. So don't spare the gas."

Xander was about to shut the door when a familiar brown haired woman put her hand on the door. "Anya?" He shook his head. "What are you doing here? No time for an answer now. We'll talk later." He slammed the door on her.

"Harris! Wait!" Anya stood and glared as the Citron pulled out of sight. "Well, that went just peachy. Now how am I supposed to tell him that I think we mesh." She sighed heavily. "Oh, well. I might as well enjoy the band. Or make fun of them. Whichever the case may be." She turned and went into The Bronze.

"Tara." Willow felt her hand being squeezed in response. "It's going to be all right. I'll protect you, I promise." She leaned in. "I love you." She whispered it softly, making the blonde blush beautifully.

"Well, now. Look at the two love birds." Spike grinned through his demonic features. "Isn't love grand. I've always had fun when I was in love."

"Being in love with an insane vampire doesn't count." Willow stood tall. "It's a sick thing. Especially when you can't take no for an answer and you nearly kill me and Xander just to get a love spell so that you can make her love you." She could hear Spike growl. "And what was it Buffy said, you were going to be a man and make her love you? Well, we see how well that worked out for you. You're now with Harmony. What'd you do, lose a bet?"

Spike growled even deeper. "Hey!" Harmony shouted from behind him. "Tell her, Blondie Bear. This is love. Real love. Not like what you had with Drusilla. We are meant to be together."

Spike whirled around and glared and Harmony. "Do shut up. That's not what's important." He turned back to face Willow and Tara. "She's just trying to bide time. She probably thinks her friend, the slayer is out looking for her." He shook his head. "I know for a fact that you couldn't get a hold of her or Giles. Thanks to Kira."

Kira smiled. "Any time, boss." She sauntered towards the pair. "You two really ought to be more careful who you invite in. I was kinda hoping, if we don't have to kill you, that we could try a three way some time. That would be just loads of fun."

"I-in your d-dreams." Everyone turned to stare at Tara. The one that was always quiet and shy. "T-the only one I-I'm ever going to b-be with is W-Willow." Her cheeks reddened even more.

"Don't you mean again?" Kira smiled. "Or didn't you tell her about those long winter nights we spent back in Philadelphia. We sure could keep each other warm."

Willow straightened at the words. She hadn't even known where Tara had come from until now. But instead of getting angry, she only smiled more. "Even if I believed you, which I don't, it wouldn't matter. She's with me now. And the two of us are going to be together, forever."

"I could see to that, you know." Kira smiled. "Think of all the fun that the three of us could have. We'd have an eternity to explore all the possibilities."

"Enough of this nonsense." Spike took several steps towards the duo. "We've only got two more days to find this Gem and to activate it. Or it's going to be too late. Let's focus people." He pointed to two of his lackeys. "You two, grab them and take them back to the cave. And make sure that they don't escape."

"Sure thing." Two male vampires made their way towards Willow and Tara. Willow squeezed her hand and Tara threw her bottle of holy water at the closest one. He instantly began sizzling and smoking. The next one charged faster. As he was about to grab Willow, she held out her stake. She managed to find his heart.

"Oh, bloody hell." Spike shook his head. "Can't anyone around here seem to do anything right the first time?" He sighed heavily. "Looks like I'll just have to do this myself."

Willow whispered in Tara's ear again. "To grant us safe passage, we implore the stars. To grant us wisdom, we implore the sun. Like the ocean is to the sea, let the wind be to the air."

A strong wind began blowing. Spike glared at the two withes. "Am I going to have to gag you two as well." He was nearly knocked to the ground as a burst of wind came at his back. He looked to see that Willow and Tara were standing in a calm, like the eye of a tornado. "Oh this is just bloody brilliant. Get them and the spell will be ended." All the vampires, except Spike and Harmony tried, with all their might to get to the two witches. Every time one of them made a little progress, another strong breeze would blow them back down.

It wasn't long, though, before the wind wasn't quite as strong as it had been. Finally, the wind was nothing. They were standing in an empty alley again. Spike looked at his minions. "What are you bloody well waiting for?"

As two of the minions attacked, a bolt of what looked like electricity hit them, knocking them to the ground. They shook for several seconds before finally just lying still. Out of the shadows of the alley came several figures dressed in army fatigues and they had on ski masks as well. There were at least eight that Willow could see.

"Who the hell are you?" Spike looked at the soldiers surrounding him. "And what kind of toy is it that you've got there. Something that makes a vampire go down."

A familiar male voice rang out. "You can find out for yourself, if you like." Willow turned to stare at the figure that had spoken. She knew she knew the voice, but couldn't place it. Not that it really mattered at the moment. These guys were currently saving her life and more importantly, Tara's.

Before Spike could answer, the army guys blasted three more of his minions. Two of the men came and staked the five vampires. "Oh, bloody hell! First that damn slayer shows up and ruins my plans. Now it's these rejects from a bloody war movie." He took off running to the open end of the alleyway.

"Wait up, Blondie Bear." Harmony wasn't far behind.

"Are you all right, miss?" There was that familiar voice again. "You should be safe now."

"Who are you guys?" Willow stared, trying to find anything that would give her a clue about the identity of the masked figures. "And not to sound all ungrateful, but do you guys just go around saving people all the time like this?"

"Sorry, miss, but we can't divulge that information." He turned towards his men. "Any other hostiles out there?" The figure that he asked only shook his head. "Let's do another sweep and than we can call it a night." He turned back towards Willow and Tara. "You get home safe."

Before either could respond, the army guys returned to the shadows from which they had come. "O.K., that was just plain weird." Willow turned to look at Tara's face, which was really pale. "Are yo all right, Sweetie?" She put her hand gently on Tara's right cheek. "You don't look like you're feeling so good. Was it the danger, or was it Kira?"

Tara's eyes widened at the name. "K-Kira. S-she's a vampire n-now." She shuddered as she said the word. "A-and I k-knew her. W-we were s-so close."

"Exactly how close." Tara got a hurt look in her eye. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to tease you, lighten the mood. Wrong thing to say." Willow sighed heavily. "But I kinda know how you feel. When Buffy first came to town, my friend Jesse ended up being turned into a vampire. Xander accidentally sorta staked him. It was hard thinking of him that way." She shrugged. "So I sorta know what you might sorta be going through."

Tara smiled at Willow's sorta rambling. "T-thank you." She leaned her head on Willow's shoulder. They stood, holding each other for a few minutes. Until they heard the clunky sounding motor coming from the road.

"That has got to be Giles' car." She laughed softly. "No other car makes a sound like that one." Sure enough, the gray Citron rolled to a stop. She watched Buffy leap from the car and run towards the two.

"You guys all right?" She took in how pale Tara was. "Is she gonna be O.K.?" Willow smiled softly. "Let's get you two back to the dorms. And this time, no leaving without an escort."

"Sure thing." Tara kept her head leaned on Willow as they slowly walked to the car. "Some weird things happened tonight." Buffy eyed her best friend. "I want Giles to hear what I have to say." They made it to the car. Willow sat in back with Tara leaning her head on her shoulder. Buffy sat in the back with them. Xander sat in front.

"So you're saying that Spike says that there is a two day deadline." Giles' smiled as Willow responded with a uh-huh. "Well, that means that we've only two more days to keep you two safe. And what exactly was it about these army guys?"

"That's the thing." Willow sighed. "I'm not sure. They had these guns, but they weren't guns. They were more like blasters. They shot, what I would say is electricity at the vamps. The vamps went down and stayed down, until the staked them. The leader's voice sounded familiar. But I can't quite place it. A lot was going on at the time. It was just really weird."

"I should say so." Giles nodded his head in thought. "Is there anything else that you can tell me about tonight?"

"I'm not sure." She smiled big. "I really think that Tara and I are pretty powerful together. We did a spell that I had been tinkering with for a little while. Before, I could get just this gentle breeze going. But when we said it together, it was like a tornado or something. It was cool. We were like the calm in the center of a tornado. I've never been able to do anything like that before. Isn't that great, Giles?"

"Or perhaps the prophecy of two powerful witches will surely come to pass." Giles sighed heavily.

"What prophecy?" Willow's voice took on an edge of concern, excitement, and anger all at once. She was concerned about what bad things could happen. Excited that she could possibly be part of a huge power, and angry that no one had told her. "Since when don't I get in on all the scooby information?"

"That was my call, Will." Willow turned to look at her best friend. "We found out just before we saved you and Tara from Spike. You were so excited to be spending some time together again, I told Giles that we should just wait until tomorrow to tell you. It was my bad. We should have told you. I'm sorry."

Willow's voice still was a little annoyed. "Well, we're here now. Care to share what this doom is all about?" She took in Buffy's expression. "Or don't we want to know."

Buffy shrugged. "It just tells of two powerful witches being called upon by a vampire to activate the Gem of Amara. When this happens, it will bring eternal darkness to the earth. And that will cause all the beings to slowly die."

Now Willow's face paled considerably. "So it was one of those that we really didn't want to know."


	15. 15

She was surrounded by nothing but darkness. She could feel herself screaming. But there was no sound coming from her mouth. She felt around her. There was nothing but emptiness to go along with the solid darkness. She kept her hand out. Suddenly, she felt cold clammy skin. She heard a deep growl coming from in front of her. Again, she tried screaming, but no sound came out.

"What's the matter, Red?" A familiar voice echoed in the dark void she was surrounded by. "You don't like the world that you and your lover helped to create." There was that laugh that she knew oh so well. "Me, I'm lovin' it. It's just so perfect for me and my kind. We really ought to thank you two mojo workers."

Willow tried to scream, but there was still now sound coming from her mouth. She felt a hand grab her arm. She tried pulling it back, but the grip was just too strong. Many spells ran in her head. But there were none that she could use. And where was Tara? Where was her world? The blonde should be at her side. And what world exactly had she created?"

The puff of smoke nearly choked her. "Come on, luv. Don't tell me you've forgotten already. You did that spell so nicely for me and all it cost you was your blonde girlfriend. It's really not so bad. You've still got me."

"Tara?" Willow's voice finally penetrated the darkness surrounding her. "What happened to her and what exactly is going on. This can't be real."

Another familiar voice made it to her ears. "Oh, but you did do it Will. And it could easily be real." Buffy's voice was in the darkness with her. "You and Tara are responsible for the darkness. For the fact that there are only a handful of humans and animals left on earth. Tara was the first one to go. That spell was simply too much for her. Even with your added strength, she couldn't handle it. But you did. You are the most powerful witch that has ever lived. And this is just a foreshadowing of what is to come."

"She's right." Another British voice entered the darkness. "You will not only be the one that leads to the animals dying off the earth, you will be responsible for the earth itself no longer existing. You're power is stronger than anything. No one will be able to stop you. Especially now that Tara is gone. If she had lived, there might be a possibility that you could learn to control your powers. The earth and you yourself are doomed."

"I don't understand." Tears fell down the red head's face. "I'm not that powerful. I can barely float a pencil. The only time I ever felt any real power is when Tara and I did those two spells together. I can't be that powerful. I can't be the one that is going to destroy the world. I don't have nearly that much power. I'll never have that much power."

"But you do and you always will." Buffy's voice again was in the darkness. "You just don't know it. But someday in the future, you will have a choice to make. If you make the right one, the world can be saved. But if you make the wrong one, it will lead to the destruction of the earth. That is just the way it is."

"I refuse to believe that." Willow was getting angry. "I want Tara back. I want to be able to live the life I've always wanted to live. I refuse to live in darkness and I refuse to believe that I'm the one that is going to destroy the earth. The only thing I believe is that this is some stupid dream and nothing is real."

Suddenly, the sun shown brightly. It took several minutes for Willow's eyes to adjust. She was in Rest Haven Cemetery. There were shadowy figures standing in front of four separate graves. Familiar figures. She slowly walked over to the figures. Before she could say anything, she read the names on the graves. Tara, Buffy, Giles, Xander. On each, it said, 'killed by Willow Rosenberg, powerful witch. If only she had listened.'

More tears fell down her face. "This isn't real. This is still just a dream. I can't believe that I am the one that is going to cause all of your deaths. This can't be."

Tara's shadowy figured floated towards Willow. "You're right, this isn't real. But it very well could be. You have to find a way to stop Spike from ever finding the Gem. If that happens, you have to believe one thing. You are very powerful. You could very easily unleash something that you don't understand without even knowing it. If you defeat Spike, you have to learn. Listen to me. I can teach you the control you need. If you listen to me before it's too late, things won't come to pass that you've been shown. But if you don't heed our warnings..."

There was suddenly instant darkness. Willow felt like she was floating in air. Why did she feel like that? Than it hit her. She hadn't learned to control herself. Not in this existence. And because of that, there was nothing. There would always be nothing. All because she hadn't learned to control herself. She was responsible for Tara's death.

"No!" She screamed and shot up. Willow was sleeping on the floor between her and Buffy's bed. Tara was sleeping in her bed. Or had been until she had screamed.

Tara looked down at the red head. She was visibly shaking. She quickly got out of bed. "W-Willow? Are you all right?" Not waiting for a response, she quickly took her into a hug. Just holding her for several minutes. Buffy sat on her bed and watched the two, not saying anything. "W-what happened?"

Willow put her arm around Tara to hold her even tighter. She could feel herself still shaking. "I had a dream. A dream of the not so good future."

Buffy moved to the edge of her bed. "What exactly did you dream of and was it like one of my slayer dreams."

Willow kept her tight grip on Tara. "I think it might have been like that. It was so..." She kissed Tara's cheek. "You're still here, right?"

Tara pulled back and looked into the red head's eyes. "Y-you dreamed I-I was d-dead?" There was a sickening feeling starting in the pit of the blonde's stomach.

Weakly, Willow nodded her head. "And I think I could be the cause of it. If we do the spell that Spike wants us to, it will definitely kill you, according to my dream." She swallowed hard. "But my dream also said that there was the possibility that even if we stop Spike, I'm so powerful that I could get out of control and that would lead, not only to your death, but the destruction of the entire earth."

"Whoa!" Buffy stood up. "That's..." She began pacing. "Wow!" She paused her pacing. "It said that you are powerful? But you have trouble floating stuff. At least you told me you do."

"According to my dream, I'm going to become more powerful. The most powerful witch that ever lived." She turned towards Tara. "And that Tara is the only one that could teach me how powerful that I really am. And how to control the power I do have. It was just so weird. But if it's true, our first priority is to stop Spike from getting the Gem and for us to destroy it. Than Tara could like start teaching me about my powers and the very important control."

"I-I'm not that p-powerful." Tara tried to half smile. "You're t-the one that m-makes me powerful." She couldn't look Willow in the eyes. "M-my mom did teach m-me about control. I-if you w-want, we could l-learn more together."

Willow finally managed to smile. "I think that's what we need to do. I mean, we will probably always need some type of magic to fight the bad guys. If the two of us together can learn our powers and to control them, it would making fighting the baddies that much easier. And hopefully not lead to me destroying the world."

Buffy shook her head. "This is just so unreal. I'm usually the one having the dreams like this. And I'm having trouble thinking that you are the one that could destroy the world. Did your dream give you any clue on how to defeat Spike or where to find this gem?"

Willow shook her head. "Nope." She turned to Tara. "Did you bring that one book you were looking in before..." She took in a deep breath. She didn't want to remind Tara of what had happened yesterday. "Before Kira showed up. The one that had mention of the gem."

Tara nodded. Both Buffy and Willow noticed the sad look on her face. She got up and rummaged through her duffle bag. "Here it is." She handed it to Willow. "I marked the page."

Willow looked up at Tara and smiled. "This is off topic, but you didn't stutter. Not that there's anything wrong with you're stuttering. I actually find it really cute and very sexy, but I thought it was kinda cool that you didn't stutter. There's only one other time I remember you not doing that. That's when you said..." She trailed off as the blonde blushed.

"What?" Buffy looked at Tara and than at Willow. "Never mind. Private. I get it. Sorry to have to invade your guys' privacy like this. But I want you guys safe and sound. Especially now that Willow has had her dream of doom."

"It's cool." Willow smiled at Buffy as she opened the book to the page that Tara had marked. "I'm sure that you would rather be spending some cuddly time with Riley." She read for a few minutes. "This is exactly what we didn't know before." She smiled at Tara. "We owe your mom big time. This has the answers we've been searching for. And that means we get to kick some vampire ass and be together." Thoughts of candlelight and rose petals formed in Willow's mind.

"Care to share?" Buffy smiled. She so recognized the dreamy look on Willow's face. It was wonderful to see.

"Let's get Xander and meet at Giles'. He's going to want to know about this as well."

Spike paced behind a vampire in glasses. "Well, is that what we've been looking for?"

The vampire turned around. "This tells the exact coordinates for the gem. We will have the gem within the hour. The only thing that you will need is to provide someway of activating. I don't know any witches that are powerful enough."

Spike smiled. "Oh, I know some witches. And they are bloody well going to cooperate. Even if I have to turn them to make them bloody well cooperate." His smile turned evil as he shook his head. "Why didn't I think of that in the first place. This is so rich. We just have to provide Buffy with a distraction so that I can get to the witches. And than, I will make them one of us and they will be more than happy to cooperate with us." His laugh filled up the cave.

"But, Spikey, what type of distraction are we going to provide to the slayer?" Harmony walked out from the shadows. "It will have to be a pretty good one for her to leave her best friend in danger. And then there is Willow. I remember how she was with Oz. I'm sure she's just as protective of Tara. I think that's the blonde's name." She shrugged.

"Do shut up, you stupid bint." Spike shook his head. "I believe we've been going about this the wrong way. We need to go after the boy and the watcher. That will not only make the slayer come after us, it will make the witch show up as well. This is so bloody perfect."

Xander was on his way to Giles'. There was some new big discovery. He was wondering what it could possibly be. And why was he up before the sun was up. It had to be big for him to be out of bed this soon. He was never up this early. Especially since he was in between jobs yet again.

A familiar voice called out his name. He stopped and turned to see Anya coming his way. "Xander! You're nearly impossible to find. What on earth are you doing here and at such an ungodly hour."

"Me?" Xander got a look of surprise on his face. "It's you that I'm wondering why is here and now. I'm on my way to Giles'. You remember him."

She nodded. "The school librarian. Why would you be going to see him. I thought that once you got out of school, you never wanted to associate with anything from it again. At least, I don't. Why are you?"

Xander shook his head. "Anya, what exactly is it that you want? The last time, besides at The Bronze, you were fleeing from a possible apocalypse. Now you're back. Why?"

"Well, I had to come and see you." She stepped closer. "I've missed you. And I think we kinda mesh nicely. And we have these bodies that could interlock so well. I think we should be interlocking now."

"Aww, isn't that sweet." Both turned to see the blonde vampire. Two of his minions had a hold of Giles. "Gee, I not only get the boy, I get a girl. The slayer is gonna love this."


	16. 16

"The place is trashed." Buffy ran up the stairs. She called Giles' name but there was no answer. "No one's here. What is going on? Where is he?" She quickly ran back down to where Tara and Willow still stood near the doorway. "We were supposed to meet. Giles wouldn't take off. I've got a bad feeling about this. How about you, Will?"

Willow looked at all the papers lying around. The old T.V. that Giles had was smashed on the floor. Most of the books were off the book shelves. Even some of his records were out of their covers and smashed to pieces. Whatever had happened was so not of the good.

"I guess we shouldn't have made that stop on the way over here." Willow's voice was full of worry. "We should have come straight here. Maybe we could have stopped this from happening. Or maybe we could have made things worse. Still..." She sighed heavily. She felt Tara's fingers intertwine in her own. It brought a sad smile to her face and gave her a great deal of comfort. "I wonder how we're going to find them."

"That's what I was asking myself." Buffy came out from the kitchen. "There is nothing. The place is just simply trashed. You'd think that whoever took Giles would have left a note so that we would know where to find him."

"Uh, don't you mean them." Buffy froze in midstep and looked at Willow. "I mean, I know Xander's not a morning person, but he would surely have shown up by now. Don't you think?" She so didn't like the thought. That would mean that whoever had Giles also had Xander. And that whoever was probably Spike.

Buffy shook her head. "This just keeps getting better and better. First, Giles is gone. Now, duh, Xander is also gone. We've so got to find them. But how?"

"I-I may k-know how." Both Willow and Buffy turned towards the blonde. She smiled shyly at the attention. "I k-know a l-locator spell. I-it might just work. But we'd h-have to go back to m-my place to perform it. All the i-ingredients are there."

"I say we head to Tara's." Buffy took one last look around Giles' apartment. "We so have to hurry." She spotted his keys. "Will, you have your license, right?" Willow nodded. "Let's get outta here and find out where they've taken them."

"Giles, you all right?" Xander's voice was a little weak. He, Giles, and Anya were all chained to the wall of the cave Spike and his minions had been using as evil central. "You're not looking so hot G-man."

"I've asked you not to call me that." Giles' voice sounded even weaker. His left eye was swollen shut. There was blood running down his chin from a huge gash in his bottom lip. "And I have been better."

"Me too." Xander looked around him. He himself had also taken a little bit of a beating. But he was in far better shape than the former watcher. That was probably because Spike thought that he knew nothing. He sighed heavily. "I wish Buffy were here. She'd be able to yank these chains out of the wall in one little pull. Instead, we're stuck here until they do who knows what to us." Xander swallowed hard as a table with some interesting things on it caught his eye. "What do you think that's for?"

Giles managed to focus his sight to where Xander nodded. "I'd dare say that is all the ingredients for the spell to activate the gem. They must be closer to having it than we had suspected."

"Isn't anybody going to ask how I am?" Anya's voice was a little shrill. "I mean, I come looking for a possible boyfriend and I end up getting chained to a wall. And not for some fun sexcapades, either. This is so unfair."

"Unfair?" Xander now sounded annoyed. "They haven't touched you, not that I want them to." He turned to look at her. "And did you just say that you were looking for a boyfriend? And you were looking for me and not Giles, right?"

"Eeww!" Anya made a face as she said it. "That would be gross and disturbing. Of course, I was there looking for you. And yes, I do think that we could mesh well. If we ever get out of this, I still want to try meshing."

"Really?" Xander's voice now had shock in it. "You'd really like to go out with me? I mean, that's just so..." He shook his head, rattling the chains that held him. "This is so weird."

"And if I may," Giles softly interrupted. "As nice and romantic as this may be to the two of you, we do have slightly larger problems at the moment. We are being held by a vampire that we know to be a brutal killer and have no way to contact Buffy or Willow. I'd say that we must try and think of someway around this."

Spike walked out of the shadows. "Sorry to disappoint, but there is no way out." He smiled large. "And, we have this nice little number." Giles face showed the shock he felt. "That's right, the big bad has got this nice little jewel. Just think of the possibilities."

"One's you're not going to find out about." Spike turned towards the familiar voice. A low growl came out of his throat. "Sorry to crash the party, Spike, but you know that I just couldn't stay away. Your parties are usually just so much fun."

"Slayer!" Spike morphed into his face of a vampire. "You're here early." He shrugged and laughed at the same time. "I always did like a grande entrance." He swaggered slowly towards the blonde. "And you've come alone. Well, we'll just have to track down your friends later."

Buffy shrugged. "I thought that this dance would be better with just the two of us. I've missed our little dances." Before she could take two steps, ten vampires came out of the shadows, including Harmony and Kira. "But it looks like you've filled up my dance card. Come now Spike, I thought you'd want to have the first dance with me."

Spike laughed. "Well, now. If you can survive your prior engagements, we can have the last dance. What do you say, slayer, you think that's a fair deal?"

From behind her back, Buffy pulled a crossbow. She aimed carefully at the vampire closest to her. The vamp was easily dusted. Two more vampires came at her. She somersaulted in the air and landed between them. She pulled out two stakes and had them find their targets. That left Harmony, Kira, and five other lackeys surrounding her.

She turned towards Spike. "You really should get some better lackeys. These guys are hardly making me even break a sweat." Harmony and Kira stood and watched as the other five vampires attacked at once. "This is more interesting."

Buffy leapt into the air and let all five of them run into each other. She landed gracefully. She staked one of the five before they had time to recover. The four stood and formed a line. They again all charged at once. Buffy fell the ground. She managed to knock one vamp on his back and dusted him. The other three stared at each other for a moment. They took off towards the entrance.

"Bloody cowards." Spike yelled after them. "Well now, slayer. It looks like you get your wish. Your dance card seems to have lightened considerable."

"B-Behind you!" Tara and Willow entered the cave where the vampires had just fled. They were covered in vampire dust.

Buffy turned to see Kira coming at her. She sidestepped the vampire easily. "Oh, please. You have so got to be kidding me. You just watched me take on eight of your friends. And I'm still standing. Did you really think that one on one would be your best bet?" Buffy stood shaking her head.

"You bitch!" Kira glared at Buffy. Harmony kept creeping towards the entrance of the cave. "It's time you see how a real vampire is." She growled and launched herself at Buffy. A stake came out of nowhere and penetrated her chest. As she was turning to dust, she turned to see who had killed her. Tara stood with tears in her eyes. "Tara!" The name died in the air as she quickly turned to dust.

Buffy stepped closer to Tara. Willow was beside her in an instant. And even faster had her wrapped up in a hug. "Tara, you all right?" Buffy asked. A shout came from behind her.

"Buffy, look out!" Xander's voice rang out throughout the cave. But it was too late. Spike hit Buffy in the back of the head with a shovel. She fell to the floor.

"Hello, luvs." Spike grinned his evil grin. "Looks like it's just the three of us. And don't be trying that fancy mojo. I already had some fancy things put in place. The only mojo the two of you will be doing is to activate this." He held out his hand to reveal the Gem of Amara. "Ain't it pretty?"

Willow stared into the evil vampire's eyes. "And just why would we help you? With that ring, you become unstoppable. Why would we help you do that?"

Spike was suddenly holding both of them by the collars of their shirts. He shook them violently. "Because, with one little twist, your heads could be rolling on the ground. Now do be good little witches and do as you are told. I'd rather not get blood on my nice new ring. At least, not yet."

Willow's face paled considerably. "It seems that we don't have a choice. If we don't help you, you kill everybody. Probably gonna kill everyone if we do help." She shook her head, not liking the options she was faced with. "Just tell us what you need from us."

Spike smiled. "That's more like it. Got the important words over here. And all the fancy things you'll need to pull off that hocus pocus stuff." Willow and Tara slowly followed Spike. They never let go of the others hand. "This is all you should need. And do hurry. I might just get a little peckish in the meantime."

Willow sighed. She picked up the book. She and Tara studied it for a few minutes, as well as looked at all the things gathered on the table. "I'm not sure if we'll be able to do this. We haven't exactly had a lot of practice at doing spells. Especially together and all."

Spike simply shrugged. "That's all right. If you don't succeed the first time, I have four little playmates I can always have for supper. One by one." Spike picked up Buffy's still unconscious body and dragged it to the wall. There were more chains there next to Xander. "And I'll start with her."

Willow turned to Tara. "Are you ready, baby?" Tara smiled her sweet shy smile. "We can do this. We have got to do this. We will do this." She squeezed Tara's hand tightly. She took a deep breath. She turned to Spike. "We need the ring."

Spike sauntered over to the two witches. He handed Willow the ring. "Better not try anything, pets. Or I'll get just a little upset." He glared at them with his yellow vampire eyes. "And you've seen what I'm like when I'm upset, haven't you red."

A shudder ran up and down her spine. "No need to remind me." She turned towards Tara. Again, she took Tara's hand. "Let's do it." She took the ring and placed in a silver jewel encrusted bowl. Acting as one, they both took some of each of the little ingredients that Spike had already put on the table.

In unison, they said, "Forces of darkness, we put before you the ring. The ring that Amara fought so boldly and bravely for. The ring that was torn from the forces of light. Let it now, let it always, be powerful and mighty. Protect those that are of the darkness and harm those of light."

A red glow began emanating from the bowl. Slowly, until it was brighter than the sun a cloudless day. There was a heat that came from the bowl as well. Spike began to smoke because of the heat. "What the bloody hell have you two done?"

The red light exploded sending the three to the ground. Spike quickly stood up and patted the flames from his arms and legs. It took awhile before both Willow and Tara were able to stand up. Willow was the first to make it back to the table. She looked into the bowl to see the ring still glowing. But she couldn't feel any heat coming off from the ring.

"I think we did it." Willow took Tara into her arms. The things that the ring could let the wearer do made them both sick to their stomachs. Hopefully, they hadn't performed the spell wrong. If they have, it would me not only that Spike would become invincible, but that it would also destroy all life on the earth. And that would open the door to the old ones.

Spike smiled and came over to the table. Carefully, he picked up the ring and slipped it on his finger. "Well, now. This does feel grande." He turned towards Buffy who was now slowly waking up. "Looks like your witch friends have gone and done it. They've made me so that can't touch me." Spike made his way towards Buffy. "I think I'll go and see what it feels like to have the sun on my face. Been a long time, after all." 

Willow and Tara made their way to where the four captives still hung on the wall as Spike made his way to the entrance. It took a little bit, but all four were soon out of their shackles. Buffy had a grim look on her face. They all did. If the spell had worked as they all feared it had, than there was no longer a way to stop Spike.

"Are you all right?" Buffy asked Willow and Tara.

"Are we, you're the one that got knocked out." Willow shook her head. "Besides, things aren't as bad as they seem." Willow got a huge grin on her face.

"I know that look, Will." Xander stepped towards his best friend. "What did you two do?"

Willow shrugged. She was about to answer when a smoking Spike ran into the cave. "Bloody hell! You two witches did something. What the hell did you do?"

"Tara, now!" Willow held out her hand. With a smiled, Tara showed her hand briefly to the other four standing there. In her hand, she held the real Gem of Amara. She and Willow joined hands holding the ring between them.

Again in unison, they said, "Forces of light, let no power of darkness ever yield this destructive power. Once and for all let the power be merged with that of the good to be used for light only." A white glow came from their joined hands. It lasted for only a few seconds. When they pulled their hands apart, there was nothing there.

"It's bloody gone!" Spike stood near the entrance to the cave. "You two bitches are going to pay for this." He ran back out the entrance. He was immediately hit with a taser blast and fell unconscious to the ground. Masked army men surrounded him.

Back inside the cave, Buffy turned to go after him, but stumbled. Giles caught her before she fell. "I hate to say it, but Spike has survived another day. We will go after him. After you've rested." Buffy was about to protest. "That's not an order, just a suggestion. You can barely stand on your own."

Buffy smiled. "My head is a little wobbly. Things are a little blurry. But with my slayer healing, we should be able to go after him starting tonight." She turned towards Willow and Tara. "You two really came through. Especially your mom, Tara."

Tara smiled shyly. "I-I didn't do t-that much. W-Willow's the one with all t-the power. S-she's the s-special one."

"You're the special one. And I plan on showing you how special later." Willow smiled as the blonde blushed and everyone else pretended to look around the cave. She didn't care that the others were around to hear. She loved her Tara and there wasn't anything anybody could do to get between them. And now that the threat from Spike was over, for now, she and Tara could finally be together. Together in that special way she had for so longed for. Her heart soared at the thought. She and Tara would be together, tonight.


	17. 17

Willow could feel the fear in Tara's hand. It was trembling in her tight grasp. She sighed heavily. This was a moment she had both looked forward to and dreaded at the same time. It was one that both of them had feared. But after their encounter with Spike, each knew that the other was stronger with the other's presence. And they could face anything together.

The door suddenly opened. Standing in front of them was a red headed woman. "Hey, Mom." Willow smiled and waved with her free hand. Sheila Rosenberg simply stepped aside and let her daughter and the unfamiliar blonde in. "Dad is here, right?"

Sheila nodded her head. "We've been waiting for you. You said that you had something you wished to share with us. Is this about school. We received a notice in the mail that you had missed a couple classes. Is everything all right? You're not back with that boy are you? You know how I feel about you dating a guitarist. You could do so much better."

Willow simply waited for her mom's tirade to end. She knew that she had to get it out of her system before she would really listen to what she had to say. It had always been like this. Her feelings came last. They hadn't even known that she was dating Oz until she had gotten mad and spilled. It was all about the analyzing and the age groups and the studies. It was never about just her. And the fact that she had some news that could potentially be shocking.

"Is Dad in the living room?" Sheila nodded and led the way. Ira Rosenberg was sitting in a lazy boy, reading what looked like a research paper. Which was normally what he was doing. 'One of many he's probably trying to published'. Willow sighed. She really wanted her parents to meet her girlfriend, but she knew that this was not going to be easy. They had never taken a real interest in her life. Why should they start now. She took a really deep breath before she started. "Mom, Dad, I really want you to meet Tara." Sheila began to hold out her hand. "She's my girlfriend."

Sheila quickly pulled her hand back. Ira bolted up right in his chair. "Willow, you certainly don't mean girlfriend as in _girlfriend_." Sheila shook her head. Ira simply stared at Tara, making her face turn a bright shade of red.

"Yes, I do mean girlfriend, as in the woman that I fell in love with." She took another a deep breath. "I'm gay." She took Tara's hand in her own, trying to draw some strength. Usually, she always found strength in her fellow wiccans touch. She felt by the end of the evening that she was going to need all the strength she could get.

"Willow, you do realize what you're saying." Sheila began pacing back and forth. "You do realize that less than ten percent of the population is..." She stopped and stared at her daughter. It was as if she were unable to finish her sentence. Like maybe it was painful for her. The look was less than one of approval. "You're just doing this to make a political statement, aren't you?" With the thought, Sheila's face turned into a smile.

"No, Mom." Willow couldn't help but laugh. "Since when have you known me to really get into politics. I'm gay. And I'm in love with Tara. It's a deep love. I can't imagine my life without her. She's my everything." Tara's face reddened even more with every kind word that Willow spoke about her.

Ira finally got out of the chair and stood facing both Willow and Tara. His gaze focused mostly on the blonde witch. "And do you feel the same way, young lady?" His voice was kinder than Willow would have expected.

"Y-yes." Tara took a deep breath before she continued. "I-I love your d-daughter very much." She finally looked up to meet Ira's unrelenting gaze. "S-she's an amazing w-woman. A-and I do hope that w-we stay together. I-I can't imagine my l-live without her in it."

Ira and Sheila stared for a few more minutes. Ira was the first to do anything. He quickly took Tara into his arms and gave her a big hug. "Much better than the musician. Is she Jewish?" Tara shyly shook her head. "Well, that is a little disappointing. But we can overlook that." Willow stood staring with her mouth open. Ira finally noticed the look. "What?"

Willow shrugged finally composing herself. "It's just that you guys really haven't taken that much of an interest in my life, besides the college thing. And even than, it was only to spell out your disappointment that I chose UC-Sunnydale over all the other schools I could have attended." She smiled. "But you're willing to accept me and Tara?"

Sheila shook her head. "Now, Willow." She sighed heavily. "You know that your father and I are busy with our work. We go on many tours and attend many lectures. It's just part of our jobs. That doesn't mean that we don't care about you." She looked at Tara and smiled. "We just want to see you happy, that's all. Isn't that what parents are supposed to do?"

"I guess. Just not exactly expecting it, that's all." Willow hugged her mom and than her dad. "Sorry I haven't been around a lot since college. Been a lot going on." She again took Tara's hand in her own. "That's going to change, if you'd like. I would like you to get to know Tara. She's just so special."

"That would be a good idea." Sheila smiled. "I hate to say it, but tonight is not a good night. Both your father and I have papers due by the end of the week. But, perhaps we can get together this weekend. I'll call you and see if things are a little freer than."

"That's cool." She smiled really big. "Thanks for accepting. It means a lot. I love you both."

Buffy watched as two of the four demons she had been fighting ran off into the woods. She'd already taken care of the other two. 'Not gonna get away that easily'. She took off after them. Before she could get two steps, something ran into her, knocking her to the ground.

When she was able to untangle herself from the bush she had fallen in, she watched as two guys in army fatigues and masks were headed where the demons had gone. She shook her head. 'They so are not ready for dealing with oogly things'. She got to her feet and raced after them.

By the time that she had caught up with them, she saw that the two demons were on the ground. Some of the army guys were tying up the demons. Others looked like they were surveying the surrounding area looking for more. Buffy kept to the shadows and watched them. They waited for an army truck to pull up. They put the demons in the back and got in. She tried keeping up with the truck, but it wasn't long before she lost them.

She stared after the army truck. There was something that just didn't vibe about them. There was that darn slayer thing going on. She shook her head. There was nothing more she could do about it tonight. She would have to report what she had found out to Giles in the morning.

Buffy returned to where she had left her slayer bag. As she was packing her things, her thoughts ended up on Willow. Willow was springing the big news on her parents. She so hoped that her parents wouldn't have major wiggins. Thinking for a moment, she probably should tell her own mother. Not that they were at her house much anymore, but her mom would still find out eventually. Tara wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Which was cool. As long as she wasn't hiding anything.

"Well, that went a lot better than I expected." Willow and Tara were now on their way back to Tara's dorm room. "Mom and Dad really can be good people. But don't expect too much. I know that Mom offered to spend some time together, but that usually ends up with them having a paper or a sudden lecture or a class they want to help out with. I'm just glad they know and are basically cool with you and me."

"Me, too." Tara smiled that shy smile that Willow so loved. "I hope we do get to spend a little time with them. They seem very nice."

Willow shook her head. "Like I said, don't be expecting too much. It's just nice that they know. What about your dad? I assume since you had a girlfriend before that he knows you're gay."

Tara stopped walking. "H-he doesn't k-know." Willow started to say something. "A-about my f-father." Tara sighed heavily. "Mom knew, before she d-died. She was so..." She searched for the right word. "U-understanding. But D-dad doesn't know. A-and I don't want him to."

A questioning look came across Willow's face. "Is there something I should know? I mean, you don't have any contact with your dad. And now you say that you don't want to. Was your life with him of the not good." Tara simply nodded. "I'm sorry baby. I wish you would have told me." She could see the tears forming in Tara's eyes. "We don't have to talk about it. Not unless you want to. I just hope that someday you'll trust me enough to share everything with me."

"I-it's not that I d-don't trust you." Tara sighed. "I t-trust you with my l-life. I-it's just s-so painful. It hurts t-to even think about."

"Well, I don't want my girl in any type of pain." She pulled Tara into a tight embrace. She kissed her lips oh so tenderly. "In fact..." She trailed off. They were only a few feet from Tara's dorm room. "Come with me." Tara looked at her with a look of curiosity. "Come with me, baby."

Tara followed willingly. When they got to her door, Willow stood back and let Tara open it. She gasped at what she saw. The bed was covered in white and pink rose petals. There were several candles already lit surrounding the bed and on the floor. There was soft music playing in the background. "How?"

Willow smiled big. "Well, I figured it wouldn't take too long at Mom and Dad's so I knew about the time we'd get back. And since I didn't get to show you how special you are after we took care of The Gem of Amara 'cause of Spike getting away and everything, I really wanted us to have this special time that I so wanted us to have than."

Tara smiled big. She pulled Willow into a hug. "I can't believe you did this all by yourself."

Willow pulled back a little. "I didn't." Tara looked at her with a look of surprise. "Xander helped me set this all up. He knew how much it meant to me to surprise you and this was the only way that I could think of."

"You have good friends." Tara smiled before she kissed Willow. "And we have the rest of the night to ourselves?"

Willow smiled big. "We have the night to ourselves." She pulled Tara into a tight embrace. "And I know what I want to do with the whole night we have together."

The two stood kissing for the longest time. Willow kept letting her hands explore the other woman's body. She felt Tara doing the same. It wasn't long before they were on the bed together. They were enjoying each other. Drinking each other in. It had been a long time coming. They had waited for so long. And there was still so much they had to face together. But for tonight, they had each other. And that was what mattered.


	18. 18

Spike's eyes fluttered open. The smell was unbearable. It was so antiseptic and hospital like. It really was as if he were in a hospital. The bright whiteness of his surroundings took a lot to get used to. The floor, the ceiling, and the three walls were white. Slowly, he stepped towards where the fourth wall or a door should be. He tried looking to one side, but got a little too close. That's when he felt the strong surge of electricity. "Bloody hell!"

At that moment, a buzzer went off. Through a little opening in the ceiling, a packet of what looked like blood fell to the floor. He looked out the clear door but could see no one. There was also very little sound. He was simply starving. He wasn't sure how long that he'd been unconscious and in this obvious prison. He began to tear into the bag of blood with his teeth.

A voice came from one of the other cells. "Don't drink it. They drug it, you know."

"And bloody hell who is doing this? And bloody well why?" Spike made his way over to be as close to the strange voice as he could without getting another jolt of electricity. "Don't tell me that this has something to do with the damn slayer. I'll bloody well kill the woman."

"I'm not sure. All I know is that I was running from her." There was a nervous laugh from the cell next door. "The next thing I know, I feel like I've stepped on a power line or something. And I wake up here. Whoever it is, they do experiments on you. I don't really know anything else. I don't even know how long I've been in here."

Spike shook his head. "Well, that's just bloody brilliant, now isn't it." He began pacing in his cell. "Do you think you could get out of here if I can get us out?"

The voice was still very nervous. "Yeah, I could find my way out of her. What do you have in mind?"

Spike smiled large. Spike smiled all evilly. "You just bloody well leave that to me. You just be bloody well ready when I make my move. We'll be out of here in no time. I promise. And I always keep my promises. Like the one that I'm going to see that bitch dead."

It was early morning. Buffy was never up this early. But she had a date. A breakfast date with Riley. It was so weird how they had gotten together. And they were taking things slow. Riley was so old fashioned and such a gentleman. It was really nice for a change to have a nice normal guy in her life. Riley came up to the table she was sitting alone at.

"Is this seat taken?" Buffy smiled in response as he sat across from her. "So, you ready for your big day?"

Buffy scrunched her forehead, trying to remember what her big day was. "Oh! You mean the fact that I get to lead a big ole discussion group." She sighed heavily. "I still think that there could be a better reward for doing well. As I told Willow, cookies are just as good a motivator."

Riley smiled large. "You really are nervous. That's a little strange." Buffy looked questioningly at him. "It just seems to me that you are pretty much always self confidant. Sure of yourself and all."

"But this is different." Buffy shrugged. "This is knowledge stuff. I'm so good at the other stuff. But knowledge stuff?"

"You'll do fine. I'll be there. And so will Willow." He laughed at her worried expression. "You do know this stuff and you'll do great. I promise."

"Well, if you say so." She leaned across the table and gave him a quick kiss.

Willow slowly felt herself waking up. There was this warmth she had her arms wrapped around. Her head was on something so smooth and soft. She smiled brightly as she remembered the very long night she had had. And the woman that she had her arms wrapped around.

"Morning." Tara's beautiful voice broke into the silent room. The blonde began stroking Willow's red hair. Willow leaned up and gave her a proper good morning kiss. "That was some night we had. I can't believe you did all that for me."

"I did it for the both of us." Willow put her hand on her girlfriend's face. "We both needed that. To know that we were together. It seemed like such a long time coming. And everything seemed to be trying to keep us a part and it wasn't fair but now we can do this anytime we want to and goddess that sounds so great 'cause I really love you and really love showing you how much I love you." She finally took a breath. "We both needed this. And I'm glad we could finally show each other our love."

Tara smiled at the ramblings of her girlfriend. "Yes, we did. We needed each other. We will always need each other, no matter what."

Willow looked at the clock and frowned. "I hate to say this, but we don't have that much time to enjoy each other this morning." She sighed heavily. "I've got class in about an hour. It's psyche, and Professor Walsh is less than happy with people that don't show up for class. And Buffy is going to lead a discussion group today in class so I kinda have to be there to support her. I have to be supportive friend." She took the time to kiss the sweet curve of Tara's beautiful neck.

They simply stayed in each others arms for twenty more minutes. "I hate to say this, but one of us has got to go to class." She kissed Willow on the forehead. "We can always meet tonight if nothing comes up with the Spike thing or other bad guy activity." She gently kissed Willow on the lips.

Willow smiled. "I know. I know I should get going, but I just don't want to let you go. Ever." Her eyes brightened at a thought. "We can start that learning control thing. We gotta do that so I don't someday go off the deep end like my dream somehow predicted I would. And that would mean that we could get to spend more time together. That's always of the good. The very good."

Tara smiled back. "Anytime I spend with you is very good. But last night was the most amazing night of my life." Her cheeks blushed before she continued. "A-and I e-expect more n-nights like that."

A little laugh escaped Willow. She noticed how Tara was now only stuttering when she got nervous. "That will be my new mission in life. Giving you all the amazing nights and days you can handle. That, and of course fighting evil." She again kissed Tara tenderly. She slowly rolled out of bed.

Tara grabbed her arm. "I'll hold you to your word."

Willow was having trouble sitting still. She really should be paying attention. After all, this was her best friend's big day. She was leading the discussion group. But the topic was so boring. And her thoughts kept dwelling on the night before. It had been her first time with anyone. Tara's too. It had been so special and so beautiful. It had been the exact thing that she had needed. And they would have many nights to look forward to the same thing. Many, many nights.

Buffy's voice caught her attention. It was raised a little. When she was able to follow the conversation, it was really nothing major. Just getting a little excited about getting her point across. She was about to help Buffy, when Buffy made the exact point she had been thinking about. She smiled proudly at her best friend.

She noticed Riley staring at Buffy with the same kind of pride. Their relationship had been progressing a little faster than she thought. But that could be a good thing. For she knew her best friend was still not totally over Angel. Probably never would be. It was hard to get past your first loves. Even now, with Tara in her life, it would be hard to see Oz again. In her heart, she knew who she would choose. But it wouldn't make things any easier knowing that. She would always love Oz.

Finally, the class ended. She walked over to Buffy who was standing in front of Professor Walsh's desk. She over heard the professor telling her what a good job she had done. Willow couldn't agree more. Than she heard Riley's voice, also telling her of a job well done. The voice made her stop in her tracks. That voice. It couldn't possibly be, could it?

She shook her head and finally came up next to her best friend. "Hey, Buffy. That was excellent. You were amazing. I was going to help you out, but you had everything covered by yourself. Too cool."

"Thanks, Will." The blonde smiled at the compliment. "No offense to the professor or Riley, but it means a lot that you think I handled myself well. You know what I'm like when it comes to the academics."

"Oh, I'd say you were pretty good." Riley's deep voice rang and rang in Willow's ears. That night that Spike had almost captured her and Tara. That night there was a commando squad that all wore masks. That night there was something familiar about the voice that had spoken to her. "Don't you agree?"

Willow's face had paled some. She shook her head, trying to come back to the present, instead of just a few short nights ago. If it were Riley, that would be of the bad. He was hiding something major. But so was Buffy. But if it wasn't him, than she would feel stupid for saying something. She looked up to find both Riley and Buffy staring at her. "Sorry. Got deep in thought. Yeah, I do agree. Very much so. She just never really got the chance to show it until now."

Buffy took in the paler complexion of Willow's face. "Are you all right? You suddenly look a little pale. Nothing wrong with you and Tara, right?"

The smile that came to her face was so bright. "No. We're good. I don't know what happened. I just didn't feel so good for a minute, that's all. But thinking about Tara always makes me feel better. Much better."

A little laugh escaped Buffy. "I can see that by the look on your face. You two are really great together." She raised one eyebrow at her best friend. "Does this mean that I won't be seeing a whole lot of you, roommate."

Willow blushed a little. "Probably not. But mostly because of that little project that the two of us are working on together." At Buffy's confused look. "You know, that English Lit paper that we've been working on. I know sometimes I'm a control freak when it comes to the writing. So it's a good thing that she is patient with me."

Buffy's eyes widened in realization. "Right, that whole control freak issue you have." She turned towards Riley. "She does love the academics and is very good at them. She has a tendency to be a little too in control when she's supposed to be partnering with somebody."

"Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing." There was that voice again. It was the voice from that night. It had to be. But what was she going to do? She really didn't have proof. Only her word. And they didn't know what these commando guys were up to. "Maybe we could work on a project together. Professor Walsh sometimes lets students help the TA's for a little extra credit. There is a project we could work on together, if you want."

Willow stared for a moment. She smiled shyly. "My plate is kinda full right now. Why don't you and Buffy work on the project together. That way, it'll give you two a little alone time. That's part of the reason I'm loving working on the project with Tara so much."

"I hadn't thought of it that way." He smiled at Buffy. "What do you say, Miss Summers. Feel like working together?"

She watched the two of them walk out the door. She needed to talk to someone. Normally, that would be Xander. But she now had Tara. And Tara was a little more understanding than Xander might be. It was definitely time to talk to Tara. Besides, Tara was there that night. She might be able to recognize his voice.

It wasn't long before she had tracked Tara down. She was on her way to the library. "Hey, baby." Willow came up from behind her and gave her a big kiss. "I missed you so much. I couldn't keep my mind on class."

"Me too." She smiled as Willow came in for another long kiss. She took in the expression on her girlfriend's face. It was a sad one. "You have something on your mind."

Willow smiled. "Yeah. I think something has come up. In fact, I'm almost certain that something has come up. I need your help to make sure before I go and do something stupid."

Tara eyed the red head for a moment. "Something s-stupid?" She took Willow's hand in her own. "W-what exactly do you m-mean by stupid?"

Before answering, Willow took a deep breath. "Remember those weird commando guys?" Tara nodded. "Well, I think I recognized one of their voices. I'm almost certain. But I need you to tell me if I'm crazy or if I heard right."

"I can already tell you, y-you're crazy." Tara tried teasing. She could see the struggle that Willow was going through. There was a little pain involved.

Willow laughed. She straightened a little before continuing. "I think one of them was Riley."

"Oh."


	19. 19

Tara simply kept staring at Willow. If what Willow said was true, and Riley was hiding something from Buffy, it would be huge. Especially since they didn't really know that much about these army guys. Even if they were good guys, it would still be a lot for Buffy to deal with. Tara took Willow's hand in her own. She was wondering what exactly they were going to do.

"W-we have that date where we're g-going to meet the other s-scoobies at The Bronze." Tara tried to get her thoughts in order. "I-if Riley shows up, t-than I could t-try and see if I recognize his voice."

Willow smiled appreciatively at her girlfriend. She had at first thought that Tara might think that she was crazy or something. But here she was, giving her the support she needed oh so desperately. "Thanks. I really don't want to think that Riley is hiding something this huge, especially since we don't know what the commando guys are up to and I know technically Buffy is hiding something too, but that's all sacred duty and the less people that know the better." She sighed as she felt Tara's other hand on her cheek. She sat there absorbing the strength that came from Tara. It was as if she were the missing link in her life. That she had finally found the other half of herself that had been missing. They were definitely meant to be as one.

"I-I wasn't even supposed to f-find out." Tara pulled her hand away from Willow's face. Willow grabbed it before she could pull it too far away. "Y-you only told me because u-us being t-together means that I-I'm in extra danger."

Willow shook her head. She pulled Tara into a tight embrace. She pulled back and kissed Tara on the forehead. "Don't be silly. I want you to know everything there is to know about me. I know I kinda forgot to tell you when we first got together, but it was because I was so darn excited. I knew that I was falling for you, but how was I to know that you felt the same way as I do. I love you with all my heart. And everything I have is yours, including my very soul. Unfortunately, that means all this bad stuff comes with it. That just so sucks beyond belief and the telling of it. But I'm not trying to hide anything from you. I hope you're not hiding anything from me."

Tara turned her head and looked down at the floor for a moment. "T-there is something a-about my family. A-and me." She turned her gaze back to Willow's beautiful green eyes. "But it can w-wait until w-we know what's going on with the commandos."

Willow sighed before she said anything. "So, you are kinda keeping stuff from me." She let go of Tara's hand. She started to walk towards the entrance to the library. She felt a gentle hand on her arm.

"I-I'm just n-not ready to t-tell you." Her eyes got really sad. Tears began forming in the corner of her eyes. "C-can we go b-back to my r-room?"

Willow took in the look on her girlfriend's face. It now appeared that she had hurt her. And that was the last thing that she ever wanted to do. She really didn't want the goddess standing in front of her in any type of pain. Especially pain that she inflicted. "Oh, goddess! I pushed too hard. I'm so sorry baby. Let's get you back to your room." Tara smiled very appreciatively.

It wasn't long before they were in Tara's dorm room. Both women sat on the edge of Tara's bed. Willow had both the blonde's hands in her own. There were still little tears in the corner of the blonde's eyes. Willow felt so guilty for putting those tears there. She was cursing herself for being so stupid.

"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to push." She brought Tara into a huge hug. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. I was really stupid." She sighed but than smiled a little. "Maybe this has to do with that control thing." Tara looked at her with a confused look. "Maybe that's how I could lose control. If I keep pushing too hard and too fast, than maybe I could easily lose control of myself. It's not a pleasant thought, but it could be what happens, if I'm not careful."

This brought a little smile onto Tara's beautiful face. It made Willow's heart flip. Tara brought her hand to Willow's face. Than she brought her other hand. She leaned in and kissed her very gently on the lips. "I do want to s-share everything w-with you. And, you weren't r-really pushing too hard. It's just very big a-and very painful." She dropped her hands from Willow's face and began staring at the floor. "I-I'm afraid that y-you won't want a-anything to d-do with me i-if I do tell you."

Willow was surprised at her words. What on earth could Tara possibly have to tell her that would make her not want to be with her. There was nothing that she could even possibly think of. Tara was her everything. There was nothing in this world that would keep the two of them apart. She slowly intertwined her fingers in Tara's. She squeezed her hand very gently. When Tara kept staring at the floor, Willow's grip became a little firmer. Finally, Tara looked into those strong green eyes of her girlfriend's.

There was also a huge smile on Willow's face. It was a smile of love and understanding. Finally, she let out a little laugh. This brought a hurt look to Tara's face. "Sorry. I just thought that you would know me better than that by now. In the past three years of knowing Buffy, I've come across a lot of unusual things. Heck, I was dating a werewolf before I met you."

Tara's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean, Oz?"

Willow nodded. "Yeah. He got bit and well, we learned to deal with it. It wasn't always of the good to have to see him locked up in that cage. But, it was for the best."

"I-is that why you two broke up?" Tara tried to take her hand out of Willow's grip. But Willow only held on tighter.

"No." Willow shook her head. "I'd been feeling like things weren't quite right between us for a long time. Plus, I kinda started noticing I was attracted to girls, instead of guys. I didn't tell anyone. I just kept that to myself. I wasn't sure if I really was gay, or if it was just one of those things that no matter how much you love the other person, sometimes the spark just goes away or you realize it wasn't as sparky as you thought it was. But after meeting you at that college trip, I knew. And I knew that you were the one that I had the major sparkage with. I was about dying, until I got your first letter. Just the thought that you took the time to write to me. But you didn't leave an address. Even in your second letter, I thought you had decided to go somewhere else. And than, there you were. It was so unreal. But than, I didn't know if you felt the same way that I did. Big huge happy dance when you did." She leaned in kissed Tara again. "You mean everything to me. If there is something that we have to deal with, we'll deal. I've done it before. We can do anything as long as we're together."

Tara stared at Willow. Tears were now rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't help but wonder how in the world she had been so lucky to find this wonderful woman. This woman that was going to accept anything and anything about her. But if only she knew the dark secret that lay inside of her. Could she really accept that fact. She had never told anyone. No one knew. Not even Kira had known. But Willow was so different than everyone else. It was as if the two had been separated and meant to find each other so that they could complete each other. They were perfect together. They were as one and should be as one. But what she had inside, it could very well tear them apart.

She was about to tell her everything what she had hidden deep inside of her when the phone rang. She sighed heavily and walked over and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Tara. It's Buffy." The voice sounded a little excited, even though she didn't know the other woman all that well. "Is Will there with you?"

"Y-yes. Hold on." She held the phone out to Willow. "I-it's Buffy. She sounds excited. You better take this."

Willow sighed. She felt that Tara had been going to share the big thing with her. Now she had to deal with whatever bad guy stuff was going down as usual. "Hey, Buffy. What's up?"

"Nothing too big. Hope I wasn't interrupting anything." Buffy could hear the scowl from Willow. "Sorry, couldn't resist. I was wondering if, after The Bronze thing, you wanted to come on patrol with me. I have this feeling running up and down my spine that if we go out tonight, we may just come across Spike. And I'm so ready to dust that guy."

"You want Tara and me to both come along?" She didn't really want to patrol. Not tonight anyways. She wanted to finish her conversation with Tara. She wanted to find out what this big thing was that could possibly break the two of them up. There just didn't seem to be anything that was that huge. But only time would tell. "I mean, she could help if we need some magicks stuff done. She knows way more than me."

"If she wants, yeah." Buffy seemed distracted for a moment. "Are you sure she's all right with going on patrol? I mean, she is all new to this there is evil and I kill it every chance I get, stuff."

"I think she'll be all right. So," Willow hesitated. She knew what was going to happen at The Bronze later. She and Tara would be seeing if these mysterious commandos included one Riley Finn. "We meet at The Bronze at seven and begin patrolling around eight." Willow was hoping that Riley wasn't a part of whatever it was these commandos were up to. She wasn't necessarily totally getting the good guy vibe off from them.

"Sounds like a plan. See you in a few." Buffy hung up.

"Well, that brings us back to the fun that started all of this." Tara looked up at her. "We're all meeting at The Bronze in half an hour. I hope you don't mind, but I suggested that you go on patrol with us. I want to share everything with you. Besides, if something of the magical nature rears its ugly head, the two of us together is of the good." She sighed. "But we may not go patrolling if Riley turns out to be a commando. I don't know how I'm going to tell her."

Tara smiled shyly. The way that had first made Willow fall so hard for her in the first place. "W-we'll do it together. I-if that h-helps."

Willow pulled Tara into her arms. "Goddess, you know it does. Just being around you gives me all this strength. With you by my side, we can face down anything. Even any of our inner demons." She felt the blonde witch tense in her arms. She pulled back and looked deep into her blue eyes. "You do have some big inner demons, don't you?"

Tara swallowed hard. "Y-yes." She tried pulling out of Willow's comforting grip. "P-please. Just let m-me g-go."

Willow only held her tighter. "Never. Remember what I said. We'll face whatever it is we have to face. We'll face it together and that's a promise." She kissed Tara's right earlobe. "Or have you forgotten that I have my own issues we'll have to deal with. Remember my dream. I have to watch my control. If I don't, the whole world could end up being destroyed. Now there's a happy thought." Again, Tara tensed in her arms. "But remember, if I listen to you, if we work together, that won't happen. We just have to believe in one another and trust each other. And I do. I trust you with my very life."

"I trust you too." Tara sighed heavily. "W-what if those inner demons were r-real?"

Willow pulled out of the tight embrace. She did have a shocked look on her face. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Tara looked at the clock. She now knew that her girl could handle anything she said. But there was no time to finish this talk. What she had to tell was so huge. She still didn't understand everything that was going on inside of her. But according to her family, it would happen. Her twentieth birthday was now less than a year away. And if the tales were true, that day could be a disastrous day for anyone that was around her. Including her reason for living. And she so didn't want that. She never wanted to hurt her Willow. "I-I'll tell you l-later."


	20. 20

The Bronze was even more crowded than usual. Willow couldn't see Buffy or Xander anywhere. She kept a tight grip on Tara's hand so that she didn't lose her in all the things going on. It finally occurred to her why it was so busy. Valentines Day was this weekend. She smiled at the thought. If things weren't too busy with the bad guy stuff, she'd have to surprise Tara with something special. After all, it is there first Valentines Day as a couple.

"Can you see them?" She shouted over the noise of the band. The band was very good. And there was something familiar about them. But she was too caught up in trying to find her friends. "This place is definitely busier than usual."

"W-well, it's only t-two days to Valentines Day." Tara smiled at the look Willow gave her. "A-and this year, I have somebody to c-celebrate it with."

"You better believe it. It's going to be a very special year." Willow hadn't forgotten what Tara had started to tell her. She knew that both of them had a lot to learn about each other. But that would come in time. In the meantime, they could just enjoy every minute that they spent with each other. "I'm still not seeing anyone."

"How's two of my favorite girls?" Both turned to find Xander standing smiling a huge grin. Wrapped around his arm was someone familiar to Willow. At first she was having trouble remembering.

"Anya?" She asked in a very surprised voice as she finally recognized the woman on his arm. She stared at Xander for a moment. "You're dating an ex-vengeance demon?"

Xander simply shrugged. "Hey, I'm not the one that..." He stopped himself before he said something he would possibly regret. "It's a sorta long story, but yes. I am dating Anya. We really haven't been spending a whole lot of time together, now have we Will?"

Willow shrugged. "I guess both of us have been busy exploring new relationships." She finally saw the tall blonde that was now Buffy's boyfriend along with Buffy. "Speaking of new relationships.." Everyone turned to see Riley and Buffy making their way over to them. "Hey, Buffy. Riley."

He simply waved. "Hey Will!" She turned to Xander. "And your date is?" Before he had a chance to answer, her eyes grew big. "You're dating Anya?"

"Geez, everyone is making it sound like I have the plague." She smiled to herself. "Which is kinda funny 'cause I was actually the one that started that whole plague thing. Who knew where that wish would lead to. Now there were some real fun times to be had."

Everyone stared at her. "So, Riley, you finally get to get out of grading papers for the prof?" Willow smiled sweetly at him. She needed to get him talking so that Tara could hear his voice. That way they could be sure. At least if he was one of the commandos. They just weren't sure what the commandos were up to.

"I had to talk him into leaving." Buffy put her arm through his. "He just wasn't about to leave those papers ungraded. So, we've got to make this an early night."

"I'm sorry about that." Willow looked up at the tall blonde. "So, you gonna be able to finish before it's too late?"

"Hey, enough of this school talk." Xander clasped his hands together. "I say that it's time to start the dancing. And start the drinking. Whose up for a soda. My treat. I may have gotten a steady job."

"You mean, the one with the construction company?" Buffy asked pretty much absently. She was totally engrossed in Riley. Willow couldn't help but notice how much. If there was something to tell, it wasn't going to be easy to be heard. It looked like Buffy was falling fast.

"Yeah. So I guess me having all those nice diseases turned out to be a good thing." Riley raised his eyebrows at the comment. "I fell in a hole when we were digging. It was full of contaminants. When I got over it, they decided to offer me a job for the rest of the project. I was told that if I keep up my hard work, I may get hired on full time."

"That would be more money that you could spend on me." Anya was oblivious to the stares she was receiving from the others.

"That sounds like a good thing." Finally, Riley's deep voice made it over the sound of the band and the crowd.

Willow felt Tara squeeze her hand, very tightly. She didn't need to be told. She knew that Tara had recognized the voice as well. And that lead to some not so good decisions she now was faced with. Did she tell Buffy about Riley being a commando, or did she wait until they knew more about them. Was Riley someone that she could trust not to hurt her best friend. She really didn't want to wait around to find out. Buffy could really get hurt if she didn't do something and fast.

As if she could read her mind, Tara said, "I'm n-not feeling so g-good. Can you t-take me home?" She smiled shyly at Willow.

"Hope it's nothing too serious." Riley's deep voice made both Willow and Tara turn to look at him. "If you want, I can escort you two ladies home. It's dangerous to be walking alone at night. No matter how late it is."

Willow shrugged. "I think we can handle it. We've had some self defense classes. We'll be fine." She smiled as she took Tara's hand and headed towards the door. She felt a hand on the back of her shoulder just before they got to the door.

Buffy stood, staring at her with concern. "So no go on patrol?" Her gaze kept coming to Tara.

"Not tonight, maybe tomorrow. I want to get Tara home." She smiled. "She's just not up for a night on the town. Especially our type of time."

"Well, I hope you feel better, Tara." Buffy smiled. "Will, can I talk to you for a sec?"

Willow crinkled her forehead. She turned to Tara. "Be back in a sec, sweetie." She slowly followed Buffy near the bar. "What's up?"

Buffy took a deep breath. "First, be careful. I still have a feeling that Spike is out there somewhere. I'm just not sure where. But it's like I can sense." Willow simply nodded. "Second, this may not be the time or place, but are you sure everything's all right with Tara? And I don't mean in the she feels icky to her stomach sort of way. I mean, have you learned anymore about her? I just don't like you going into this relationship blind."

Willow stiffened at the comments. She knew that Tara wasn't sharing everything with her. But she hadn't shared everything with Tara, either. "Well, I know that her mom died almost two years ago. I know that her family life wasn't so pleasant. That's why she wanted to get so far away from them. Is there more she hasn't told me? Well, yeah. But I haven't told here everything there is to tell. It takes time to feel that you can trust someone enough. Especially if those things are painful. And besides, let's talk about your new boyfriend. What exactly do we know about one Riley Finn?"

Buffy's eyes widened. "Geez, Will, I didn't mean it like that." She sighed a little. "I guess you do have a point. It does feel like Riley isn't sharing everything with me. And it does take time to really get to know somebody. I just was worried that you hadn't thought of those things. I don't want you to get hurt, that's all."

"Well," Willow glanced at Tara. "I don't want to see you get hurt either. I didn't mean to get all defensive girl on you, but I know that there are things that Tara and I both haven't told each other. But, no matter what, I love her more than I've loved anything in this world. We are meant to be together. And that can't change. I hope you have that with Riley."

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know if we do or not. There seems to be a little sparkage there. But, he's so different than other guys. He's so much more the gentleman than most guys are these days. I think there is a chance that we could possible make a good couple. Only time will tell."

"Just be careful." Willow smiled. "And Tara and I will be careful. We're both packing. Plus, hello, both magically inclined so we are really packing. We'll be fine. And I do want to learn more about Tara. I just don't want to lose her, either."

"Just be careful." Buffy smiled at Willow's fake scowl. "I'll see you tomorrow morning at the scooby meeting. At least, I assume you'll be spending yet another night with your girlfriend, as per usual."

"Like you haven't been spending most of your nights with Riley." Willow smiled. "See you tomorrow." Buffy watched her best friend walk towards her girlfriend before returning to Xander and the others. "Sorry that took so long. She just wanted to make sure that we were extra careful 'cause of Spike being on the loose and everything."

"W-Willow, that wasn't all." Willow looked at her in surprise. "I-I think it's s-sweet that she wants to p-protect you. She d-did ask about me, didn't she?"

"Well, yeah." Willow shrugged. "It's kinda funny 'cause I pointed out how she really doesn't know all that much about Riley either. But I didn't mention how we suspect that he might be one of those commando guys that we don't know anything about and that he might or might not be a good guy and someone that we can trust." She sighed and shook her head. "Let's go to your place. I want to call Giles. But I don't want to go to his place. I want us to be alone."

Tara smiled at the thought. "Y-you're the boss." She felt Willow wrap her arm in her own. "You follow, I'll lead."

"That could come in handy later." Willow smiled as the blonde on her arm blushed sweetly. They were now halfway down the alley behind The Bronze. There was a noise from the end of the alley. "Maybe we should turn around and go the other way."

"Or, maybe you can die." Both women turned around to see Spike in his vamp mode. "You two bitches are the reason that I was trapped in that bloody prison." He put his hand to his cheek. "They got a little too close." There was a deep cut that was already healing under his hand. "You two had better hope this doesn't leave a scar. If it does, I may just get a little cranky." He smiled large. "Hell, I'm already a little cranky. Those bastards didn't even feed me. I'm just a little famished. What say you two prettys fix that particular problem for me. After all, it was you two that destroyed what was rightfully mine." He started after the two.

Willow reach into her pocket and held out a cross. It didn't even faze Spike. He kept coming at the two of them. She instinctively took Tara's hand in her own. Her mind raced with a thousand spells. What was that one that the two of them had used a few months ago when Spike had first showed up in town. That would be useful in this situation again. But her mind was drawing a blank. It was as if she were being blocked.

"What's the matter, ladies?" Spike grinned from ear to ear. "You two not able to work the mojo? Well, now. That's a big time bonus for me, now isn't it."

"Run!" Willow shouted. They turned and ran for the end of the alley. Willow could hear that Spike wasn't far behind them. She had to think of something. There had to be away. Why was her mind not able to think of any spells. And it felt like she didn't have her usual magicks at her disposal. Something weird was going on. But Spike was after them. And that was what mattered at the moment. Faster. They had to move faster.

She felt something grab her arm from behind. She was whirled around and into the face and fangs of Spike. "Hello, delicious. Did I ever tell you how sweet you look today? You look good enough to eat." He smiled as she began to scream. He covered her mouth. "Now, now. None of that. We don't want to alert that pesky slayer friend of yours."

Tara, stopped a few feet away from where Spike had Willow in a tight grip. She watched helplessly as her everything struggled in the arms of the vampire. She felt like there was something she should be able to do. But it was like there was something forcing her still. What on earth could be holding her back so much. Especially now that her world was in such danger. "Willow!" She finally managed to find her voice as she watched Spike's fangs hovering over the red head's neck.

"This'll be nice and tender." Spike smiled as he started to bite Willow's neck.


	21. 21

Spike pulled back his head, yelling in pain. He put both his hands to the sides of his head. "What the bloody hell did you two witches do to me!" As her released Willow, she fell to the ground. She sat staring up at him, surprise evident on her face. "You! And that damn slayer. You did this to me. And those bloody army guys."

Willow blinked and quickly made her way to where Tara stood. She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. The blonde was simply terrified. Her whole body was shaking. "I-I couldn't help. I-I couldn't do anything."

Willow still kept her eyes on Spike who still held his right hand to his temple. "I know. I'm just so wondering what's up with Spike. He so easily could have bit me." She put her hand to her neck and felt the little trickle of blood. "O.K., he did sorta bite me. But he didn't suck me." Willow looked at Tara. "That didn't sound exactly right." Her eyes quickly made their way to where Spike, now recovered, was glaring at both of them.

"Did you two bitches do a spell?" Spike started for them. "I will so kill you two if you did." He continued towards them. "I'm going to get the two of you." He now was running towards them.

The red headed witch was the first to react. She pulled Tara with her as she took off running. But it wasn't long before they were backed into a wall. They had taken a majorly wrong turn. And now they were trapped with Spike glaring at them.

"Can you do any magicks?" Willow whispered. She so didn't want Spike to know that at that particular moment that they were probably pretty much defenseless. "I can't seem to get a grasp on any of my powers. No spells." She turned and looked at Tara. "I can't even float anything."

Tara had such fear in her eyes. It was not something that Willow liked to see. Not at all. "I-I can't either." Tara wrapped herself even more around her girlfriend. "T-this could be it." She squeezed Willow. "A-at least we found each other b-before."

Suddenly, as Spike was only a few feet away, Willow's eyes turned blacker than the night that surrounded them. "I won't let him win. He can't kill you. I've lost too much in my life already. He is not going to get away with this."

The air in the alley began swirling. Spike stopped in his tracks. Lightening began at the far end of the alley. It slowly made its way towards Spike. With every inch that it moved, the lightening became bigger. It struck one of the light posts. There was an explosion of sparks everywhere. The light post began to burn. The fire slowly made its way to the warehouse that it was attached to.

"W-Willow?" Tara could feel the power that was suddenly surging through the red head. It was more power than she had ever felt in her life. And it seemed to come out of nowhere. She herself was still feeling blocked. But Willow suddenly had all this power. And it felt like it was growing by the second. "Willow!" This time she shouted, trying to snap her out of it.

But the red head only smiled. She kept her focus on Spike. He had threatened to take away her everything. And nobody did that and got away with it. Not while she still had all this power at her disposal. She so wanted to see Spike blowing in the wind. It didn't matter the cost. Even if she lost herself, it would be worth it. Her everything would still be alive. And that's what mattered at this moment.

Tara let go of Willow. The lightening storm was about to hit Spike. The lightening had hit The Bronze. There were sparks and a fire looked like a real possibility. She stood in front of her girlfriend. It was as if Willow was looking right through her. There was no acknowledgment of her at all. This was beginning to frighten Tara more and more. She took Willow's face in her hands. There was a little movement in her lover's eyes. But the eyes remained black. They remained focused on Spike. Tara swallowed hard. She wasn't sure how to bring her out of this. That's when she placed her lips on Willow's.

Willow blinked hard. Her eyes slowly returned to the lovely shade of green that Tara loved so much. She could feel all of the anger flowing out of her, along with the magicks. A huge lightening bolt was about to strike Spike. It came within inches of his face, before fizzling out.

Spike turned to face the two witches. He saw that Tara was still kissing her. He shook his head. He had lived a long time. And faced many powerful things in his time. But that redhead was even more powerful than all those things combined. He could sense it. He could feel it in his bones. He wasn't about to mess with her again. He took off running down the alleyway. The witch was someone to avoid. But the slayer was another matter. She was the reason he couldn't bite anyone. It had to be her and those damn commando guys. He'd get his revenge.

Finally, the kiss ended. Willow fell to the ground. She was both emotionally and physically drained. What had happened to her? Just seconds before she went all wonky, she had felt like she was being blocked. So had Tara. What had changed and made her suddenly this all powerful witch. Too powerful. She knew that. She couldn't stop. The smell of smoke made her look up.

"Oh, goddess!" She saw that the warehouse was now burning badly. The Bronze was also on fire. "Buffy! And Xander." Tara followed her gaze. "We've got to get back inside and warn everyone." Willow tried to stand, but couldn't. "I can't. I'm too weak. You go. Get everyone out and call the fire department." Tara had a worried look on her face. "Please. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of what I did."

Tara kissed Willow on the forehead before taking off for The Bronze. Willow still sat on the hard pavement. She stared up at the flames on The Bronze. She so wanted to try and put them out by magicks. But that might lead to another bout of who's got control. Because she certainly didn't seem to at the moment. And it terrified her more than anything.

What exactly had happened. Why was it that she had lost control. She remembered this big time fear for Tara. It had snapped something inside of her. It had let this flood gate of emotion and power flow into her. Suddenly, the images that she had had in her dream came flooding back. This was it. It was true. She could so easily lose control of this power that she had been gifted with. Or cursed with, depending on how you wanted to look at it. If she didn't find some control, she could easily hurt people. Including the woman that meant everything in the world to her.

People's voices snapped her attention from the gloom and doom thoughts she had been thinking. She looked down to the end of the Alleyway to see Tara leading her friends towards her. She again tried to stand, but she felt too weak yet.

Tara was the first to reach her. She tried helping her up, but it was no use. The woman was so drained. Buffy was the next to reach her. She easily helped Willow to her feet. Willow leaned on both her best friend and her girlfriend for support. Xander, Anya, and Riley all stood watching her carefully.

"Will, are you all right?" Buffy looked into her eyes. She could tell by one look, that something huge had happened. And that was not of the good. "What happened?"

Willow looked at Riley and Anya. She couldn't say what really happened with the two of them standing there. She would have to do the ole make up something hopefully that sounds like it could have happened thing. "We were attacked. This bleach blonde guy came out of nowhere. And there was this freaky lightening storm. It's what caused the fires."

"Bleach blonde?" Buffy's eyes widened as she knew exactly who Willow was talking about. But the lightening storm, there was something more to it than what her best friend was saying. It dawned on her that both Anya and Riley were still there. She knew that the red head was trying to tell her but without the two of them knowing what was going on.

"Should we call the police?" Riley's deep voice seemed to echo in Willow's mind. If she and Tara hadn't been leaving to avoid the whole fact that he was a commando, than this might not have happened. And she might still be in the dark as far as how powerful she appeared to be.

Buffy shook her head. "I think Will is all right. Besides, you didn't really get a good look at him, did you?"

Willow shook her head. "He had a mask on. I could see his hair. That's the only way I have of identifying him. And that's not much to go on. It coulda been a wig." She felt Tara kiss her gently on the lips. It gave her a little more strength. "I just want to get home. It was more scary than anything. I really don't think the guy was capable of hurting me."

Buffy's eyes widened at the comment. She was trying to add up all those code words that Willow was using. But they just weren't adding up. "Well, let's get you back to..." She looked at Tara. "Tara's dorm room. She will want to take care of you, I'm sure." Tara smiled at her gratefully. "Riley, I hate to say it, but I think we should call it a night. I'll see you tomorrow. We have the nice picnic planned. If Willow is all right."

"Sure." Riley smiled. "Hope you're all right, Willow. It probably was more scary than anything else." He turned and walked towards the end of the alleyway.

"What was all that nonsense about?" Anya stared at Willow. "It was more than just an attacker. I can feel the magicks out here. What exactly happened?"

"Ayn, I'll fill you in later." Xander took her hand in his own. "There are times when we have to not say what is going on. Riley doesn't know that Buffy's the slayer." Anya nodded her head and stood silent for once.

It wasn't long before Buffy and Tara had Willow tucked in Tara's bed. "You're telling me that Spike couldn't bite Willow?" Tara nodded. "There was this big time pain when he tried to." She smiled a little. "If he can't bite people, that would be oh so cool. But he's still dangerous. I'll have to go after him. You watch over Will for me." Tara nodded. "There's more to this isn't there." Tara's eyes fell to the floor. "What else happened?"

Tara swallowed hard. "W-we both felt our m-magicks being blocked. I-I can't explain it." She looked at Willow. "We ran. W-we were trapped. T-that's when Willow..."

"Willow what?" Buffy didn't like the sounds of things. And Tara was having a hard time explaining what was going on. "What happened Tara? I need to know."

Tara took a deep breath. "W-Willow filled with all this power. M-more power than I've e-ever felt before. Her e-eyes went all black. I-I couldn't get her to s-stop. S-she wouldn't listen to m-me. I-it took me kissing her f-for her to snap out of it."

Buffy's eyes were very wide. "You're not saying that she was out of control?" Tara nodded slowly. "But that would be like her dream, wouldn't it?"

"I-I know." Tara turned her gaze back to Willow. She seemed to be sleeping. "A-and if that's t-true, t-the world could be in real danger f-from the woman I love."

Buffy shook her head. This was just an overload of such good news. The Spike not being able to bite people was of the good. But her best friend possibly going over the edge was something else entirely. This was so not of the good. "You watch over her. I'm going to see if I can find Spike. If I can't, I'm going to Giles. He needs to know what's going on. Maybe he can help." Buffy started for the door. "Or maybe you can help. That's what her dreams said. You think you can?"

"I-I wish I k-knew." Tara watched Buffy walk out the door. She locked it and made her way to Willow. The red head's eyes were closed. She couldn't tell if she were sleeping or not. And she wondered if she had heard her conversation with Buffy. There was a lot going on. As usual. She now knew that her life would never be dull as long as she was with Willow. And that was fine by her. Except that her everything could someday destroy the world if she didn't learn the control she needed to. And she was the one that had to teach her that control.

"Tara?" The voice was really weak. It broke the blonde's heart. She made her way over and sat on the edge of the bed. She began stroking the red head's cheek. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there." Tara felt her swallow hard. Ther were tears forming in her beautiful green eyes. "I think my dream was right. I think I could someday destroy the world."

AN Well, I'm glad you are still enjoying my story. I know that I leave off at some tension filled moments. It's that trying to keep the interest of the reader thing I like to do. Thanks for taking the time to read. Hey, Charmedlassie, hope you don't mind the tension building too much. Thanks for being one of my loyal readers. I'll keep updating when I have the chance. Later.


	22. 22

A/N This may be another chapter that needs a pg-13 rating. Willow and Tara together. So if it offends or you are uncomfortable, I'm sorry. You may want to only skim this chapter.

Willow woke with a start. All that had happened the night before flashed through her mind. She wondered exactly how much damage had been done to The Bronze. She looked around Tara's room. There was no sign of the blonde. But there were candles. And there were little heart cut outs hanging on the wall. Her mind tried to grasp what was going on. All she knew was that she so could have easily destroyed the world the night before. If Tara hadn't been there, she probably would have.

Tara! Where was that gorgeous blonde of hers. Without her, she was nothing. And without her, she would definitely destroy the world. The red head sighed heavily. She knew that she wasn't as strong as others told her she was. Buffy had tried to tell her that from the first day they met. Powerful, maybe. But she wasn't strong. Tara was the brave and strong one. She had to find where she went to.

The witch tried slowly to get out of bed. But it was of no use, so she managed to get herself into a sitting position. She glanced at the clock. It was past ten. It was a good thing it was a Saturday or she would have missed one class and been late for another. Whatever had taken her over the night before had really zapped all of the strength out of her body. It was not a feeling she was liking at all. What was worse, her forever was missing.

She quickly looked up as the door opened. She smiled huge as she realized it was Tara. And Tara was carrying a takeout bag of goodies for her. That's when she realized her stomach was a little rumbly. She wasn't sure if she could eat anything.

"You're awake." Tara set the food down on the dresser. She quickly made her way over to her girlfriend. "I was getting worried about you."

"More than the I might destroy the world worry?" Willow tried to smile. But it was no use. There was this big time danger. And joking about it wouldn't make it go away. She took in the worried look on the blonde witch's face. "Sorry." She sighed heavily. "What goodies did you bring me? And what's with the candles and everything?"

Tara smiled a big smile. The one that she only smiled when she and Willow were alone together. "Well, if you remember right, it's Valentine's Day." Willow smiled. "I thought that we could use a little romance."

Willow's smile quickly faded. "What about Spike? And there is this whole me being of the destroying world not being able to control myself kinda danger thingy." She sighed heavily. More than anything in the world, she just wanted to spend the day wrapped up in the arms of Tara. But that just seemed like a fantasy at the moment. Some things had to be put on hold when there was real danger to the world.

"I-I haven't forgotten any of that." Tara smiled sweetly. "A-and we still do need to talk a-about the control thing." She quickly made her way to sit on the edge of the bed. "I talked to Buffy. There's been no sign of Spike. A-and Giles is a little more than simply concerned about us b-being blocked and.."

"And me almost burning the town of Sunnydale down?" Tara nodded. "Can't blame him there. I'm still not sure what happened. One minute, I couldn't think or do anything magickal. The next, I practically blow everyone up with one heck of a lightening storm. It was more than just a little scary."

"A-and we'll deal." Tara put her hand on Willow's cheek. "Y-you're still tired, aren't you?"

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Why, Miss Maclay. Are you trying to start something?" Tara's cheeks reddened a little. "I think I have enough strength. If we take things nice and slow."

"I know t-there are other things w-we should be.." Tara swallowed hard. "We shouldn't be..."

Willow pulled her towards her and kissed her oh so very passionately. "If there's one thing I've learned while I've been fighting evil, it's you have to take time for each other. If you don't, that person may not be around. For various reasons." She held Tara's face in both her hands. She was about to pull her onto the bed with her, when the phone rang.

Tara sighed, but walked over and answered it. "Hey, Buffy. No. Not a hundred percent, but better. Mr. Giles has a theory about what happened. We'll be there."

When she turned to look at Willow, the red head was pouting. "You just had to say that we were going to be there, didn't you." Tara smiled shyly. "Well, we can always finish this later."

It wasn't long before the entire scooby gang was sitting around Giles' apartment. He kept his gaze on Willow. She felt like she was the naughty child who needed to be constantly watched. It wasn't a feeling she was used to. Or one that she liked. Finally, he spoke. "I had a little incident last night. I ran into an old friend of mine. You all remember Ethan."

Tara and Anya were the only ones that looked confused. "What was he doing back in town." Buffy looked at her former watcher. "It wasn't of the good, I'm sure."

"No indeed." He turned towards both Willow and Tara. "I believe that I know why the two of you felt blocked last night." Both women looked at each other and than back at Giles. "Ethan was in town. He was looking for more fun to be had at my expense. Apparently, he was going to turn me into a demon. But before the spell had a full chance to take place, something bigger broke through." His gaze fixed solely on Willow. "I do believe that your trip over the edge saved me from turning into a demon. So, you see, there was some good that came out of it."

Willow smiled, but it quickly faded. "Yay. I stopped Ethan from doing something of the not good. But, I really lost it out there, Giles. I know that if Tara hadn't been there, I really would have lost it. And I don't think I could have come back from wherever it was going to take me."

Giles nodded. "I realize how serious all of this is. I just wanted to let you know that there was some good that came out of last night." His gaze finally shifted to Tara. "And I believe that a lot now falls on you, young lady."

Tara swallowed hard as everyone began staring at her. "M-me? W-what d-do you m-mean?" Willow took her hand.

"I'm terribly sorry to have put you on the spot like that." He smiled gently at her. "It's just that if Willow really is losing control of her powers and we believe her dream, it is you that we need to turn to."

"B-but.." Tara's face turned bright red. Her eyes began staring at the floor.

"Giles, you need to back off." Willow's voice was a little more forceful than usual. "The two of us were just discussing this very thing this morning. We were talking about it when Buffy called for us to meet. We know how important it is. And we're going to begin working on my control issues right away." She gave him a look of determination. "Unless you have something to add to the already fun filled situation we're in, can I go and get some more rest? I still feel drained."

"Rest. Ha!" Everyone looked at Anya. "Please. I know that we want to go and have sex look. It's plastered all over her face."

"An, not now." Xander squeezed her arm. "And I think you're wrong on this one. The two just want to go and rest and start the control thing, right?"

Willow smiled shyly. "What else?" Everyone stared at her. "What?" She didn't know why.

"I haven't anything to add." Giles finally broke the silence. "However, I do have a contact with a coven in England. If you two have difficulty in learning how to control the powers that you are gifted with, I could very well contact them. Perhaps one of them could possibly help in that regard."

"Thanks, Giles." Willow looked at Tara. "It might be necessary. But, according to my dream, it's up to me and Tara to get a handle on things. And we will." With that, they all went their separate ways.

Which meant, it wasn't long before Willow and Tara were back in Tara's room. As soon as they got there, Willow began lighting all of the candles that Tara had so sweetly setup. Tara raised her eyebrows.

"I-I though that you were tired." Tara came up and stood beside Willow as she was lighting the last candle.

Willow smiled big. "Well, not really." She turned and took Tara's hands in her own. "Let's just say that Anya wasn't as far off as I tried to tell her she was."

"You mean?" Tara's blue eyes glistened in the surrounding candlelight.

"We've been so good in the past about not always giving in to what we want." She continued to smile. "We actually resisted so that we could continue researching The Gem of Amara. And there have been other times when we put ourselves last so that we could help with things. And I haven't forgotten that we need to talk to Buffy about Riley being a commando and all and we still don't know what's up with Spike. It's just that..."

"W-we've earned a night together." Tara was now smiling as brightly as Willow. "A-and we have tomorrow to do what needs doing, now d-don't we?"

Willow pulled her into a deep kiss. It wasn't long before her hands were exploring the back of the blonde witch. She felt Tara's hands exploring her body as well. It sent a million sensations throughout her body.

The two women slowly made their way towards the bed. Tara was the first to meet it. She quickly sank onto the bed. Willow fell to her knees so that she could continue the kiss. For a few minutes, they just stayed that way. But Willow's roaming hands found the front of Tara's shirt. Slowly, she began unbuttoning the flower patterned shirt. As she slipped the shirt off, she began kissing Tara at the neck and down her right arm.

Tara gasped as she felt Willow's tongue now running up and down her arm. Willow stopped briefly as she felt Tara's hands untuck her sweater she was wearing. She raised both her arms so that Tara could pull it off her head. Both women stared at each other for a few minutes before continuing.

Willow slowly pulled down one of Tara's bra straps. Her hands found the pesky bra claso. It wasn't long before she had it unclasped. And the bra was lying on the floor. Tara slowly did the same. As both women were now topless, Willow stood and gently forced Tara to lay on her back. She pressed her body to the blonde's, feeling her amply breast on her own.

Tara felt the soft kisses on her neck. She closed her eyes, there was so much pleasure and she never wanted it to end. Willow rolled over and slipped out of her skirt. Tara quickly followed suit. Now it was her on top of Willow. There was so much love in the green eyes of the red head when the blonde looked into them. There was also the power that was to be so feared.

The continued pressing their bodies together. They also took the time to remove the last of the clothing that shielded each other from the other's skin. Hands explored the body of the other. Kisses were planted on various parts of the body. Gasps of pleasure where made. The two of them together was like the very first time.

But yet, it was already becoming a dance that was so familiar. The need, the want, and the sheer pleasure that the two were now giving one another. It was like they had known each other in another lifetime. They knew the little things that the other so found pleasure in. And made sure to do them over and over and in the right way.

Their dance lasted for hours. Neither knew how much time had passed when they finally rolled away from each other. They were both flushed and breathing heavy. Their bodies were covered with sweat. They simply looked into each others eyes. They didn't need to say anything more. Words would be redundant. They had said everything they had needed to with their bodies. And now, they could simply enjoy the pleasure of the afterglow.


	23. 23

Spike roamed around the city at night. He had tried again to bite someone. Several times in fact. It wasn't just the witch. It was him. There was something making it impossible for him to bite people. He was even having trouble thinking about biting people. That's when he heard a familiar voice.

"We really do need to do something. The cave is so very drab. We need to make it more cheery." Harmony was walking along the campus of Sunnydale. She had five vampires with her. "Now, Steven, you should be able to come up with something. Your mom is an interior designer or something. Why do you think I went to the bother of siring you."

Spike jumped in the path of the walking vampires. "Hello, Harm. Looks like you've put together a nice little gang. Think you could use another."

Harmony crinkled her forehead at him. "As if. I mean, you were always mean to me. I don't know why I even bothered being your girlfriend. Steven is my new boyfriend, right?" She nudged him so that he would answer.

"Oh, uh sure." The vampire was wearing an old Sunnydale High letterman's jacket. "Whatever you say, babe."

Harmony rolled her eyes at him. "Besides, I thought that you had your own gang. I thought you wanted to get the slayer or whatever. That's not in our plans. We don't want to cross the slayer, now do we boys." All of her minions shook their heads. "It's safer to avoid her."

Spike shook his head. "What kind of vampires are you? All vampires want to fight the slayer. It's what our kind does. Well, that and kill as many innocent people along the way." He stared at her for a moment. His stomach started to rumble. "Say, Harm, you wouldn't have any leftovers lying around, now would you?"

Harmony just laughed. "Later, Spikey. There's a sale at April Fools that I want to take advantage of. And sales clerks to kill. Hope you have fun with the slayer."

Spike watched them wander off. Again, his stomach began rumbling. He wondered what he was going to do. He could really waste away if he weren't careful.

The sun was shining brightly. It was around noon the next day, the day after Valentine's. Riley and Buffy were enjoying a nice picnic on the lawn. Buffy kept staring at her boyfriend. He was so nice. And he seemed so normal. But there was this vibe that she was getting from him. It was almost like her spider senses were tingling around him.

"So, you going to be hanging with your friends again tonight?" Buffy asked as she took a slice of cheese.

"Sorry." Riley looked down at her. "I do seem to do that a lot, don't I. But you spend a lot of time with your friends as well. Guess we have different friends."

Buffy shrugged. "No big. And yeah, I'll probably be spending sometime again with the gang. It's hard trying to keep the high school crowd together. But I'm not letting go of Willow and Xander any time soon."

"Tara's not from the old high school gang?" Riley ask, very surprised. "She just seems so much a part of the group."

Buffy shook her head. "Willow and her started dating after they met here at college. Anya was in high school with us, but she wasn't part of the gang back than. The three of us are the original scoobies, through and through."

Riley practically choked on a piece of apple. "Willow and Tara are a couple?" Buffy nodded. "Well, that's interesting."

Buffy eyed him. "You have problem with unconventional relationships?" Her mind started to dwell on her last boyfriend. If Riley was having trouble accepting Willow and Tara together, he'd probably have a major problem with her dating a vampire. Even if said vampire did have a soul. Besides, he didn't know that all that supernatural stuff was real.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I guess not." He looked at her. "You got to admit that it is a shock to find out about that."

Buffy nodded remembering her own reaction to the fact that Willow had told her she thought she was gay. Even though she was her best friend and loved her more than anything, it was still hard to make that adjustment. But Tara was such a sweet girl. And she definitely made her best friend happier than she had ever seen her. "I had some wiggins when Will first told me. I'll admit that. But it didn't change who Willow is. She's still the same girl she has always been. She's my best friend."

"And best friends are hard to come by." Riley understood. "Now that I think about it, I really should have known. But they are kinda shy about their relationship in public, aren't they."

Buffy shrugged. "No, they don't go and have public make out sessions. But they love each other and aren't ashamed of anyone knowing. And I'm not ashamed to tell." That's when it hit her. She would have to tell Riley about her and Angel if she were ever to have a serious relationship with him. But not today. Today was a day to spend in the sun and have fun. For tonight, it was another night hunting for Spike.

Willow stretched and yawned. She looked at the clock. She quickly sat up in bed. It couldn't possibly be that late. Tara moaned next to her, still asleep. Granted, the two of them had had a very late night, but she never slept this late.

Finally, Tara rolled over. "Morning." And it was a beautiful morning. It had been the most perfect night that Tara had ever experienced. In the back of her mind she still wondered if Willow would love her like she did if she found out about the secret. The one thing that she feared to tell her girlfriend. She knew that eventually she would have to tell her. Maybe even today. But not now.

"Morning." Willow kissed her gently on the lips. "That has to have the most amazing night I've ever had." She snuggled up close to the blonde. "And I owe it all to you." She smiled. "I'm beginning to wonder what my life would be like now, if we hadn't met." She chuckled to her self. "I think that the forces of fate made sure that the two of us met. What do you think?"

Tara smiled back. "I think we've always known each other." Willow looked at her. "I don't know about you, but last night felt like the first time, but also like we'd done that so many times that we knew exactly what the other wanted."

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Well, you certainly knew what to do." She smiled even larger as she thought about the night before. Tara was right. It was as if the two of them were these partners in life. And not just this life. It was like their two souls kept traveling until they found each other in whatever lifetime it was. They would always, always find each other no matter what. "I think I know what you mean."

Tara leaned over Willow. "Gosh, it's late. Good thing we don't have classes today."

"But we do." Tara looked into Willow's green eyes. They were sparkling mischievously at her. "Remember. You teaching me control so that I don't go over the edge like I almost did when Spike was threatening you."

"W-we did say we w-were going to do that, didn't we?" Tara looked away from Willow.

Willow didn't miss that Tara's stutter had returned. She rarely stuttered when it was just the two of them. Only when she was nervous. "Tara, you don't think you can do it?"

"T-that's not totally it." Tara sighed heavily. "I-I'm afraid b-because the w-whole world rests on m-me. A-am I really t-that knowledgeable to be able t-to teach you t-that control."

Now Willow took her girlfriend's face in her hands. "I have all the faith in the world. The two of us together can figure anything out. Once we set our minds to it. And this will give us an excuse to spend extra time together. Although, we will have to use some of that control right away." Tara raised an eyebrow, not understanding what Willow was talking about. "We have to get up and get dressed and try and keep our hands off one another while we do that so we can begin learning the control thing."

Tara smiled big. "Now that's what I call self control."

The rest of the day was spent with the two of them together buried in various witchcraft books. Most of the ones that they had, Tara had inherited from her mother. There were several that told about powerful witches and how they had lost control. There weren't many though that had told how those witches had learned control. It seemed that the witches that had lost control had basically burned themselves up with the power that they had. Or they had hurt others.

Willow sighed as yet another book told her to beware of her growing powers. "They all tell of the powers and the oh so good results if you can't learn to control them but do you think any of them will tell you the how to control them so that you don't look like you've spent too much time in the sun or even worse, forgot to turn off the oven and the nice turkey is now cajan style which I don't really care for the taste." She looked up to see Tara smiling at her. "Ramblings of a nervous witch."

Now Tara laughed. "It could be worse. You could be one of those ones that has to spit when you talk or use big time hand gestures. Now that's even worse."

Willow shook her head. No matter what the two of them had been through the past six months, they always seemed to get through it. As much as she still loved Oz, things were never this good between them. She could say and do anything with Tara, and the witch still loved her. How had she been so lucky to find her. It really must have been fate. Or, was it something else.

"Will?" Willow's red hair flew she looked up so quickly at Tara. She hadn't realized that she had grown silent for all those minutes. "D-did I say something wrong?"

"Never." Willow smiled big. "I just got lost in thought. About me and you."

"Care to s-share?" Tara swallowed hard. "O-or is it..."

Willow came over to where Tara sat on the bed. "Where is this coming from?" Tara looked into her green eyes. "I'm sensing an unsureness about yourself when it come to me. Why? After last night, you have any doubts?"

Tara shrugged. "T-that was p-physical. A-and I know I talked about f-fate but..."

"But nothing." Willow took both her hands. "Listen, you are the one. You are my soulmate. I would do anything to make you happy. If chewing gum annoyed you, out the door. If I was too messy for you, I'd learn to be neater. Not that I'm messy. I'm actually somewhat of a neat freak. And, even bigger than all of that, if you were concerned that we couldn't learn to control my powers together, I would stop. I would never do another spell. I'd leave all the magicks up to you. That's how much you mean to me. That's how much I love you."

Tara sat just looking into the loving eyes. Tears formed in her own. Her own family would never have said anything like this to her. They thought she had evil in her and didn't want anything to do with her. And here was this girl. When they'd first met, she knew that she was more than just an ordinary girl. And it wasn't because of the magicks that she had sensed in her. There was something else as well. This woman was so kind and gentle and understanding and she would literally lay down her life to protect her own.

There was several minutes of silence between the two of them. "I-I think I-I'm ready to tell you something." She swallowed hard. "It's that thing I t-told you about."

"You mean, your family?" Willow's eyes grew wide. This was the biggest thing that Tara could share with her. It was one of the few things that the two of them had hinted about, but never talked about. "Are you sure you're ready to tell me?"

"I am."

A/N Gotta still thank all of my loyal readers. Those that review and don't review. I'm just honored that anyone takes the time to read my dribble. I hope it's good. I try. And I hope I'm not offending anyone with the W/T relationship. But I just want them to be a normal happy couple. Special thanks to my loyal reviewers Charmed Lassie (still nice work on your story), Phonixjay27 (good story and I totally understand why you're not reading. More willpower than I have.), and my latest Goincrzy52 (you left off at a really good part in your story). Until next time.


	24. 24

Riley's beeper went off in the middle of him sharing a nice kiss with Buffy. He grabbed it out of his pocket and looked at the number. "I'm really sorry about this, but I've got to go." He stood and than quickly started to pickup the remains of the picnic that they had just shared.

"Go?" Buffy also quickly stood up. "Riley, what's going on? Why are you being beeped away on a Sunday?" She stood looking at him with her hands on her hips. Maybe this had to do with the vibe she had been getting from him. What exactly was he up to.

"Well, I..." He trailed off. He hated very much to be lying to this young woman that he was beginning to have some serious feelings for. Maybe even love. But he couldn't tell her the truth. Ever. If he did that, he would be in so much trouble. "Listen, I'm the one on call to be a designated driver. I know it's only like one, but it seems that someone already had one too many." He laughed a small laugh. "I want to make sure that he gets home safe."

"Care for a little company?" Buffy's stance softened a little. But this was sounding a little strange. Designated drivers are of the good, but it just sounded a little too convenient at the moment.

"Uh, no." Riley could see her begin to stiffen a little more. "It's not that I don't want the company." He stepped closer to the blonde. "It's just that." He smiled a big smile. "The one that has been drinking, well, is a freshman." Buffy's eyes widened a little. "Yeah. He could get in a lot of trouble if the school ever found out. So, I told him that if he ever got in a situation, I'd help him out. I don't like doing it. He shouldn't be drinking at that age, but at least he did call me."

Buffy nodded. She still had a feeling that this wasn't really why Riley was all of a sudden being so darned secretive. That there was something more to all of this. And it gave her a very sad idea. "Well, if you have to go. Go." She smiled and stretched up on her tiptoes to give him a little kiss. "Go be a good boy. I'll manage to keep myself entertained somehow."

"I'm sure you will." Riley kissed her again before grabbing all of the picnic stuff. He slowly made his way towards his fraternity house. He didn't notice that he was being shadowed by a certain blonde slayer.

"Thank you for the information." Giles hung up the phone. He had spent several hours talking to a very informative girl from a coven that had used to work for the council. They too had seen fit to quit offering their services. And now, they were more than willing to help him with his current predicament. Helping Willow to learn her control.

"Finally off the phone, luv?" A sweet voice came down from the upstairs loft. "I've been really lonely. Why don't you come and join me."

"In a moment, Olivia." Giles went through his notes again. There was a lot to sort through. And there was one book in particular that could help Willow and Tara both learn to use their powers responsible. He just wasn't sure if it was something that he could get his hands on or not. It would entail a visit to the local magic store.

"Giles, I'm getting cold. I need someone to warm me up." But that could always wait until tomorrow when Olivia would unfortunately be on her way back to England.

"I do care, Anya." Xander was sitting on his couch in the dingy basement he called home now that his parents were forcing him to pay rent.

"But, all we ever seem to do is have sex." Anya sat on the arm of the couch and looked down at her boyfriend. "Not that we don't smoosh well, but there should be more to a relationship than just good smooshing, shouldn't there?"

"Wow, you really did turn into a real girl, didn't you?" Xander frowned as his girlfriend shot him daggers with her eyes. "I just meant to say that I do care. I don't know how else to show it."

"Well, Buffy and Riley went on a picnic for Valentine's Day. A day late, but they still managed to do something." Anya sat up straighter. "And I know for a fact that those two lesbians had a sex filled evening planned. Probably surrounded by candles and romantic music. All we ever do is smoosh. There is no romantic candles or music."

"Anya, I'm sorry." Xander scooched closer to her end of the couch. "I.." He swallowed hard. "I have to admit, I forgot all about Valentine's Day. But in my defense, it doesn't hold the most pleasant of memories for me. Cordelia broke up with me on Valentine's Day. Granted, we got back together, but still."

"I didn't know." Anya looked at him. "I'm terribly sorry. But I'm not Cordelia. I'm Anya. And I would never do that. Well, not if I were thinking about it, I wouldn't. And this is our relationship, not your other one. We should do things differently than your other one that didn't last."

Xander smiled. "You're right, sweetie. And again, I'm sorry. I'm still not used to having a girlfriend. One that actually wants to be with me. I do love you."

Finally, Anya smiled. "I love you to. Can we do the smooshing thing with candles now." Xander laughed and nodded.

"You know, you don't have to talk about this if you don't want to." Willow looked very lovingly at Tara. "I understand about things being to painful to talk about. I mean, you almost told me that one time. But it really brought pain to you and I don't ever want to see you hurting in any way so if you don't want to tell me you don't have to..."

She was silenced by a tender kiss from Tara. "I-I really think t-that I am ready." But there was a lot of fear to be seen in her bright blue eyes.

Tara took her fellow witches hand in her own. "Not to bring up even more painful things, but you don't have to be nervous. I know that you stutter when you're nervous or upset. It doesn't matter to me what you have to say. I love you and nothing is ever going to change that. You don't have to worry."

"But..." Tara swallowed hard as she felt Willow's grip on her hand tighten. "Y-you don't even know."

"And I won't, until you tell me." Willow kept her green eyes fixed on Tara's blue ones. "And I'm not pushing, either. But look at me. I have so much power and need, in a big way, to learn to control it or I could destroy the world. And you still love me, right?"

Tara smiled big. "Of course I do. I love you more than anything in this world. A-and that's why what I have to tell you scares me so much. Y-you might not be able to accept it. Having power and learning to control it is one thing. But..."

Willow shook her head and sighed. "You're not listening to me. Or I'm not saying it so you'll get it. There is nothing that you can tell me that I won't be able to deal with. Remember, I had a boyfriend that was a werewolf. And we were happy. But I realized that I was gay. And it wouldn't have been fair to keep seeing him. Hopefully he can find somebody like I've found you."

Little tears were forming in the corners of Tara's eyes. "You don't even know..." She sighed. She knew that until Willow knew what her secret was, she would just keep arguing. And she loved her even more because she said she would always love her and never her leave her. But what if she did. Suddenly, there was this huge amount of fear. "I'm not sure I can. I-I'm scared."

Willow again shook her head. "What am I going to do with you besides love you. I know that I'm only nineteen years old. And that's not many years to have lived. But with all the things I've seen being friends with the slayer, I think I have a different perspective than most people do. I know that there is good and evil. But I also know that there are gray areas as well. Things aren't always what they seem to be. Some things look nice and pretty but are actually evil. And I've met one or two demons that were pretty hideous to look at, but they wouldn't even harm a fly. And I look at you. Is there more than meets the eye. Well, yeah. But there are things about me. And Buffy. And Xander. And Giles that just aren't there on the surface. Are all of those things of the good?" She swallowed. "Not always. I've done things I'm not proud of. I know that each of them has too. And there are things that are part of us that we have to deal with. Things that no matter how much we want to, we simply cannot change. We just have to learn to deal with them. And whatever it is that you are trying to share, or not, we'll deal. Because, of all the things in this world." She again swallowed hard. "The only thing that I am truly sure of is our love. And that we should be together forever. There is nothing that can break us apart."

Tara was now crying. The love that Willow was giving to her now was so overwhelming. Her family had shunned her. The only reason that they had wanted her around was to do the housework. Especially after her mom died. That's all she was good for. Taking care of her brother and her father. Her feelings didn't matter. And it didn't matter how tired or how bad she was feeling, they would yell at her to make sure things got done. Part of that was because she was different. But they had never even tried to show any understanding.

The blonde put her head in Willow's lap. She kept sobbing uncontrollably. Willow just kept stroking her cheek and placing gentle kisses on her forehead. They stayed like for over an hour. Until Tara had finally cried herself to sleep. It didn't matter. Tara would tell the red head what she was going to in time. And she would stand by her side, no matter what.

Another hour passed. Tara woke up screaming. "Baby, sssh. It's all right. I've got you." The blonde looked up into loving green eyes. "Bad dream?"

Tara smiled shyly. "Yeah." She sat up slowly. The dream all came rushing back to her. "I dreamed that you left me. Y-you couldn't handle..."

Willow smiled and hugged the other woman. "I'm still here. Not going anywhere. I give you my word."

Tara pulled out of the hug. For the first time, she really looked deep into Willow's eyes. She smiled. The red head was telling the truth. She could tell. "Well, my family doesn't treat me all that well." Willow stiffened at the thought of someone hurting her. "But they have r-reason not to."

"Uh-uh. There is no reason to mistreat somebody." Willow squeezed her hand. "Especially my blonde goddess. No. I'm telling you right now. You shouldn't have to be treated that way."

"But there is a reason." Tara swallowed. "The thing that I've been so scared to tell you." Her eyes quickly left Willow's and found the floor. "I have demon in me. I'm part demon." There was only silence. Finally, Tara was brave enough to look back at her girlfriend's face. There was surprise, but there was still the love there.

"Is that all?" Willow smiled.

"N-not exactly." Tara saw the smile fade just a little. "On my twentieth birthday, the demon part of me w-will come out."

Willow shrugged. "Do you know what kind of demon? Like I said, there are lots of demons that are actually friendly little demons. They wouldn't hurt anyone. And even if it's something else, we'll deal. Pretty powerful witch, here."

Tara quickly shook her head. "No!" Willow was surprised at the outburst. "Sorry. I don't know what kind of demon. M-my family never told me. A-and I don't want you to do anything that might make you lose control."

"Oh, right." Willow's smile brightened. "That's all right. You're birthday is like almost a year away. We have plenty of time to figure out what kind of demon. And if we need to deal with it in any way. That gives us plenty of time to also see if we can learn to help me control my control issues."

"You mean, you're not g-going to leave me?" Tara's eyes widened in surprise.

Willow shook her head. "How many times did I say that. We'll deal. We'll get through this together. Just like everything else in life. We'll do it together."


	25. 25

Buffy had been so disappointed. By the time that she had gotten inside of Riley's fraternity, it was empty. Which was weird. There should have been somebody left there. You'd think there would be. But there had been no one.

Again, those darn slayer vibes kept shooting through her. And she really didn't like having these vibes about her new boyfriend. It had taken a lot to get over Angel. Not that she would ever truly be over him. But she needed to be with a nice, normal guy. And that was supposed to be Riley.

But was it? She sighed heavily as she slowly made her way back towards her dorm room. The one that she supposedly shared with Willow. But Willow had practically moved in with Tara. Which was very good for the red head. This relationship was one that she had so wanted. And Buffy remembered when her best friend had thought that they could only be friends. Willow had been so frustrated, yet tried to be happy with what little she got.

And Tara was so good for Willow. Willow was getting more and more powerful. And Tara seemed to be able to control the gift of magick that she herself had. But that's not what was most important. What was most important was that Tara loved Willow. She seemed to love her more than anything else in this world. Buffy thought that it must be so wonderful to have found that. After the whole Oz thing, Buffy was glad that Willow had found her true love.

Speaking of Willow and her true love, Buffy spotted them as they were walking towards her room. Only wondering a little bit about why the two weren't off somewhere doing a spell or in Tara's room doing the makeout thing, Buffy took off like a shot to catch them.

"Willow! Tara! Wait up!" Buffy was grateful as both witches turned to look at her. They waved at her and waited patiently for her to catch up to both of them. "I need to talk to you guys. It might be nothing. Or, it might just be a scooby matter."

Willow raised her eyebrows. She was wondering what it was that Buffy wanted to talk about. And there was that thing about Riley that she and Tara had been wanting to talk to her about but somehow kept getting sidetracked. "We have something we need to talk to you about as well." She looked at her girlfriend who had gotten a nervous look on her face. Willow mouthed 'Riley' and the look subsided a little.

"We should probably not talk here." Buffy lead the way into their room. She didn't give the other two women a chance at speaking. "I followed Riley. It was weird the way he was beeped away on a Sunday. Designated driver, my ass. And I'm getting this vibe from him. And when I got to his fraternity, there was no one inside. Can you say suspicious?"

Willow smiled and let Buffy rant for a little bit more. "Uh, Buffy, not to interrupt but we may have an idea, sorta, what's going on with Riley."

"You have an idea?" Buffy looked from Willow to Tara and back to Willow. "What's going on?"

Willow took a deep breath. "Remember that night that me and Tara were saved by the commando guys?" Buffy nodded. "Well, I sorta possibly recognized one of the voices. I wanted to be sure before I told you. So I asked Tara. And we were gonna tell you before now but everything kept happening and it was so complicated and we wanted to be sure and I almost went evilly and it was just so..."

"Will, are you going to tell me what's going on with my boyfriend?" Buffy smiled. "Or do I have to beat it out of you?"

"Sorry." Willow laughed nervously. Tara took her hand and gave it a little squeeze. Willow squeezed back, grateful for the contact and the strength it gave her. "We are almost certain that the leaders voice was..." She swallowed. "Riley."

"What!" Buffy shouted. She looked from Willow to Tara. Tara nodded shyly. "You're both sure?" Tara again nodded. "Wow! And we don't know anything about these commandos, now do we."

"That's why I didn't want to tell you till we were sure." Willow looked at her girlfriend. She wasn't about to tell Buffy the real reason that she had gotten distracted. What Tara had told her was going to remain between them two for as long as they could keep the secret. "We're wondering who's involved and what they are really doing. That night, it looked like Riley and the commandos were there to do good. But I don't remember them killing all the vampires."

"A-and remember." Tara swallowed before continuing. "S-Spike thought that w-we did something to h-him. Either magickally or whatever. M-maybe those c-commandos got him and h-he somehow escaped." Tara's face was turning red.

"I hadn't thought of that." Willow smiled proudly at her girlfriend. "Of course, I was kinda on a power overload that night that Spike said what he said. My memory is a little fuzzy. Thank goddess Tara was there as well."

"W-when you s-see the one you l-love about to d-die, you d-don't soon f-forget it." Tara's eyes got sad at the memory. "But y-you're all right."

"Better than all right, I'm with you." Willow couldn't help herself. She pulled the blonde into a very long kiss. It took Buffy clearing her throat for the two of them to pull apart. "Sorry. Can't keep my hands off from her." Tara's face turned beet red at this statement.

"I know." Buffy smiled. But her smile faded quickly. "That's how it was starting to get with me and Riley. But now, if he is some army guy, he's been hiding a lot. Granted, so have I."

"But that's different." Buffy started to say something. "Listen, sacred duty and all that. But if you are getting serious about Riley, you had better tell him what you do, what you are. I forgot to warn Tara and it almost got her hurt."

Buffy nodded in agreement. "I think you're right. Whether he's a commando or not, I should probably tell him. I really want him in my life. But I don't know with all that's going on. I just wish I knew for sure what Riley was up to."

Down deep below the campus of UC-Sunnydale, there were these many strange creatures in white cells. And there were some human looking things as well. A familiar tall blonde was walking with an African American man. The two clearly were some sort of authority down deep below the surface of the world.

"I really want to tell her, but how can I?" Riley stopped and looked at one of the doors. One of the doors that he was forbidden to go into. "She is so special. And I think I'm really falling for her. Why can't I tell her?"

The dark skinned man shook his head. "Man, you have got it so bad. You really want to get Professor Walsh on your bad side. You know that if she finds out, you'll be court marshaled or shot or something."

"Yeah, I know, Forrest." He sighed as they continued to the what looked like a weapons array. "Maybe I'll have a talk with her anyway." Forrest shot him a look. "I know that it could get me in serious trouble. But look what we deal with every day. I would feel better if she at least knew that all these creatures existed. Maybe she would be able to take care of herself."

"Have you seen how tiny she is?" Forrest shook his head. "That girl would probably have trouble standing up to a windstorm let alone fighting the things that we fight. But it's your call, man. I'll back you no matter what."

Riley smiled. He knew in his heart what he was going to do. He knew that he loved Buffy already. And keeping a secret like this was just too big. And it was so unfair. It was just a matter of timing. When would he tell her he was basically a demon hunter.

Behind the door that Riley had been looking at was another door. And behind that door was a room. Inside that room, one person walked around. That was his boss, Professor Walsh.

But the good professor was not really alone. She had something there with her. There it was, lying on the table in front of her as she poked a needle into it. The thing did have half a human face. But it also had many features of various demons and creatures. It was a hybrid between a human and several different demons.

"Soon, Adam. You will be able to walk among the people. You will show them what a true warrior is all about." Professor Walsh smiled proudly as she gazed down at her son. "And that day will be my proudest day." As she turned around, she felt something go through her. She managed to utter, "Adam?", before she fell to the ground. It wasn't long before she was lying in her own puddle of blood.

"Mommy." The creature retracted what looked like a giant splinter from the dead body. "I will indeed show this world. And it will never be the same again."

It was now the next Sunday. There had been a rash of grizzly murders since than. Even Professor Walsh was missing. The whole scooby gang knew that it was more than just some wild animal like the authorities were trying to blame it on. It was a demon. They just weren't sure what kind.

Willow and Tara sat alone in Tara's room. They had been trying to come up with a way to locate this new demon. There was even a demon locator spell. But that one hadn't seemed to work. It showed a few lights. But it didn't show Tara. But that could be because she hadn't reached her full demonyness yet.

"I'm not sure there's anything else we can do." Willow looked up from the book that she had been reading. "I think we are kinda tapped out, magickally."

Tara nodded sadly in agreement. "That spell was weird. I wonder why it didn't put me on the map. And I wonder if those lights were demons at all. Maybe we got some of the ingredients wrong."

"I don't think so." Willow looked at her girlfriend. She was looking so sexy in a pink sweater and tight fitting blue jeans. Her mind wandered for a moment before she shook her head to clear it. "I quadruple checked everything before we started. Maybe because we are on a hellmouth, it kinda got overloaded."

Tara nodded. "That makes sense. After all, we were overloaded by Ethan and than you overloaded him." Their eyes met for a moment. "Sorry. Not to bring up..."

Willow shrugged. "No big. It's a part of who I am now. It's kinda like you maybe possibly being a demon. It's something that we'll deal with. Hopefully before either of us gets to evilly that we can't deal anymore." She looked into Tara's blue eyes. "It's Buffy that I'm worried about. She hasn't talked to Riley yet. She just keeps following him around all the time. She's not the greatest at stealth. Sooner or later the two are going to run into one another."

Tara slowly made her way over to her girlfriend. "You are such a good friend. And an even better girlfriend. What did I ever do to deserve you in my life? How is it that we found one another?"

Willow smiled big. "You are a very good person yourself, missy. You deserve all the good things in life. And I hope that I can give them to you. As far as how we found each other, that can be answered in one word. Magick."

Darkness had fallen quickly on the campus of UC-Sunnydale. There were many things that were lurking in the darkness. One little petite blonde was trying her best to kill those things. So was one tall handsome blonde. It wasn't long before they were both on the tail of the same vampire. It wasn't long before the petite blonde was battling the vampire. A look of shock came across the tall blonde as he watched her do her nightly dance. And win, as she did every night.

"Buffy?" The tall blonde managed to find his voice as he watched the vampire turn to dust.

The petite blonde turned quickly. "Riley?" And now two lovers stood facing one another. And the truth needed to be told.


	26. 26

"I really wonder how Buffy is doing." Willow and Tara were walking towards Giles' apartment. It was rather late and there were many dangers here in Sunnydale, but they were having trouble coming up with anything on control by themselves. "It's been a while since I've seen her this distracted and that's so not of the good while she's trying to fight all those baddies out there. And Spike is still out there. You know he always was a little obsessed with Buffy."

"I wouldn't say that, luv." The blonde vampire practically fell out of the woods that were on the other side of the path that the two women were walking down. "It's not Buffy so much as she is the slayer. That whole vampire/slayer dance and all."

Willow was at first terrified. Even though he had been unable to bite her the last time, it was still Spike. Or was it. Even for a vampire he looked really pale. And if it were possible he looked like he was getting thinner. "Spike, are you all right?" The surprise of his condition made her ask.

"And why wouldn't I be, bitch?" Spike swaggered towards the two witches. He again stumbled as he did so. "Bloody hell!" That was the last thing he said. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Woah!" Willow's green eyes widened as she watched him. "That was interesting." She looked at her girlfriend. "Should we stake him?" She had a stake in her back pack for just such emergencies as this. Well, at least if a vampire attacked them, not passed out on them.

"I'm not sure." Tara couldn't take her eyes of the vampire. She hadn't dealt with him as much as Willow but she still knew that he was deadly. Or at least he used to be deadly. But seeing him like this was weird. Very weird.

"Maybe we should take him to Giles." The red head also stared at the blonde vampire. It was as if she were mesmerized. "We've either got to stake him or take him to Giles." She again took in the way that Spike looked. "I vote that we take him to Giles. That way, maybe we can find out what happened to him."

Tara nodded. "But how are we going to get him there?" Tara knew that she was strong and so was Willow but Spike was a man. And was not going to be easy to carry.

"We could try floating him there." Willow saw the look on Tara's face. "I know that would take a lot of concentrating and a little bit of power." Tara raised an eyebrow. "O.K., a lot of power. But if we work together and you help me to keep focused and grounded I won't go all evilly storm on us. 'K? Besides, Buffy's on patrol who knows where. Xander was going to The Bronze with Anya. And Giles already knows that we're coming." Tara stood staring at her. "I don't really like it either, but I think it's our best bet."

Tara nodded. This was the first thing that really required both power and concentration since her everything had almost gone over the edge. All the other spells were basically harmless. She just hoped that Willow could handle it.

Riley and Buffy were now in her dorm room. They had walked in silence after both had realized that the other was also a sort of demon hunter. But there were still so many details to sort through. And unbeknown to them, a hybrid demon was busy making plans for the world.

"We really do need to talk." Buffy looked over at Riley who sat on Willow's bed. She sat directly across from him on her own bed. "Before one of us graduates."

Riley stood and began pacing. "I've never seen anything like that before. I mean, no offense, but you're just so tiny. Who are you?"

"Who am I?" Buffy stared angrily at him. "You've been hiding something as well. Or did you just do your shopping at the army surplus store."

Riley looked down at his military garb. In all the surprise and confusion of finding Buffy fighting and killing a vampire, he forgot how he was dressed. "Well, I um.." He stopped pacing and began staring at his girlfriend. "You might not understand."

"Let me take a stab at what you do." Buffy stood and faced Riley. "You are part of some military organization, hence the army surplus outfit. You track and kill demons giving them some fancy term. Oh, and some of the demons you just neuter. You make them so that they can't harm anything. How am I doing so far?"

"Pretty damn good." Riley stared at the blonde woman. "That pretty much sums up what I do. So, you pretty much know about me. What about you. What are you?"

"I'm just a girl." Riley shook his head. "All right. I'm just a girl who happened to be chosen. Have you ever heard of the slayer?"

"That sounds like a band to me." Riley kept staring at Buffy waiting for her to tell the whole story.

"Well, it's not." She paused. "Actually, I think it is." She shook her head. "But I'm _the_ slayer. The one and only. Into every generation. And you still have know clue what I'm talking about."

"All I know is that my girlfriend can handle herself with vampires." Riley stepped closer to Buffy. "And there is a reason for it. Care to explain further."

"Well, the vampire slayer fights all the evil in the world." Riley continued to stare at her. "There has been one girl that has fought alone. When one girl dies, another takes her place. And so is my legacy. Death. It's what I do, it's how I'll end." Her eyes got a really sad look.

"I'm sorry. I.." Riley took her into a big hug. "But you're not alone, are you?"

"No. Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, and Giles all know who I am and help with the fight." She broke away from Riley's grip. "That's probably why I'm still alive now. I've always had somebody watching my back."

"Well, if you want it, you've now got a whole army watching out for you." Riley got a real sad look on his face. "Except that we are kinda in disarray at the moment. My commander was killed somehow. We're still trying to figure it out."

"Professor Walsh!" Buffy started to add things up in her head. Riley was her TA. She had seen them together a lot. And it wasn't just a professor/student thing. And the good professor had now been missing for over a week. Put that all together with all the other things that had been happening over the past week and you got, "you've got a rogue demon on your hands, don't you?" She asked, but she really already knew the answer.

"How did?" Riley was stunned that Buffy had figured out about Professor Walsh and that there was an indication that some project she was working on had indeed gotten loose.

Buffy simply shrugged. "Things are adding up. And I'm not liking what they are adding up to. We need to get to Giles. He'll be able to come up with more. I hope." They both turned to go. Before they could move, a part demon, part man, part machine stepped through the door and smiled at them.

"I told you we could do it." Willow smiled as they had managed to get Spike to Giles' front door. "And you didn't let me go all evilly once." She swallowed hard. "I did feel the power wanting to take over. I admit that. And I know you know."

Tara smiled shyly. "You can't hide anything from me. We are connected in every way possible. For life, if you'll have me."

Willow smile huge. "You had to ask." She shook her head and gave Tara the most passionate kiss ever. "We better stop. We've got to figure out what's going on with Spike. But later, I promise to show you how much I love you." Tara blushed at the thought. The red head knocked on the door. "Giles, it's us. And we need you to bring chains or really strong rope!"

Giles opened the door. "I beg your pardon." He looked down at the figure of Spike still slumped on the ground. "Bloody hell, what have you two done." He looked quickly at Willow. "You haven't lost control of your powers, have you?"

"Giles, he tried sorta attacking us. But he passed out as he did. We weren't sure if we should just stake him. But we thought that maybe we could figure out why he can't bite people." Willow smiled nervously. She bowed her head. "Although, we did use the magicks to float him here. A-and I did almost lose control. B-but Tara stopped me just like in the dream. She can help me learn control. I think."

Giles shook his head. "Let's get inside before the neighbors start asking questions." He heaved the still limp Spike over his shoulder. He carried him to the bathroom. "Watch him. I'll be right back." The two girls stared at the vampire. It wasn't long before Giles returned with chains and a sturdy padlock. The two witches watched him as he wrapped the chain around the solid pipes and around spike. It would be difficult for even vampire strength to break free of the prison they had for him.

All three of them made their way back into the living room. "I know that the whole Spike deal is huge." Willow sat next to Tara on the couch. "But have you or that coven come up with anything new. We're almost done with all of the books that Tara inherited from her mother. And there's talk of losing control, just not how to keep your control. It's frustrating."

Giles smiled. He was proud of the fact that Willow was trying so hard to learn about her powers. Most young people would not care about the consequences. They would just take full advantage of these new and probably intoxicating feelings that came with all of that power. But she had always been a smart young lady. "Well, there is a very powerful young witch named Althena. She is actually around your age, I do believe. She has been practicing since she was only five. Her mother taught her well before she died. Even though she is the youngest member of the coven, she is also the second highest ranking. She has sent some invaluable information. And she has also sent this." He handed Willow a letter.

"What is it?" Giles only looked at her so she opened it.

_Dear Miss Rosenberg,_

_Giles has told me a lot about you. But he really didn't need to. I could feel your power. You and the one that you are with. I feel that you both have even more power than I have. And I understand how hard it is to control. Especially if you have not been trained before. And that is not a reflection on you. From my understanding, witchcraft and the wiccan lifestyle is looked down upon in America. Here in England, we are a little more open to alternative lifestyles. And that's why I send you this. This is an invitation, if you so choose to accept, to come to England and train with me and the rest of my coven. This invitation, of course, includes your girlfriend. We would be thrilled if witches with your power feel that you could spend some time with us. I think we have a lot to learn from one another. Giles knows how to contact me. Please seriously consider my offer._

_Althena_

Willow let Tara read the letter as well. "Do you think it would be a good idea? I mean, now? We have Spike and there is this new demon. At least we think it's a demon. All those people disappearing and also turning up not alive." She swallowed hard. In all the time she had been a member of the scoobies, this past week there had been some of the most gruesome deaths ever. It made her sick to even think about them.

"I feel that it is a wonderful opportunity for the both of you." Giles looked at Willow. "But, I feel it can wait until this summer, if you so choose. That way, neither of you will miss any school."

Willow smiled. "Thanks. I know the control thing is what's important, but I want to be here for Buffy. She made need me."

The front door to Giles' place burst open at that moment. Buffy ran in, followed by Riley who slammed the door shut. The slayer's eyes were wide. There was blood dripping down from a huge gash in her forehead. Her left arm was hanging kinda limp at her side. Riley also had blood streaking his face as well as both his arms.

"What happened, Buffy?" Giles quickly made his way over to the slayer.

"We now know what's behind all the badness this last week." She sighed heavily. "And I couldn't even touch the thing."

AN Sorry, but yet another cliffhanger. What can I say, I love to keep you guys guessing. Or at least I hope I'm keeping you coming back. What good is being a writer if no one reads you stuff. I'll try and update soon so that it won't be too much suspense. Until next time.


	27. 27

The gang all stared at Buffy and Riley as they listened to them recount what had passed as a battle between the two of them and this demon hybrid thingy they now knew as Adam. Willow and Tara kept clinging to one another. Xander kept his hand on Anya's shoulder. Even Olivia was there on a visit. Not so good timing for her to be there. One of the biggest evils the gang had known was now loose in Sunnydale and they had no way of defeating it.

"What are we gonna do?" Xander looked at Giles. "These two are like born fighters, or at least trained fighters, and they had no chance at it. What chance do the rest of us have against it? We gonna all die."

Giles rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous Xander. We shall surely find a way. We have always found a way. It will just take time. Time that we may not have." He sighed heavily. He wasn't so sure himself if they would be able to defeat this latest bad guy.

"I know we don't want to consider it, but we might have to use magic." Willow felt all eyes turned towards her. "I'm not saying it's a happy thought for me, either. We still have no real way of knowing if I'll go all wonky the next spell I do. But do we have any other choice here?"

"W-Willow, we will find another way." Tara squeezed the red head's hand tightly. "I trust you, I just don't know."

"It's all right sweetie. I myself just said how things could somehow go really bad if I'm not able to keep myself under control." She swallowed hard. "But look at Riley and Buffy. They're all bloody and black and blue and puffy. They barely got out with their lives. And Xander is right. If those two are no match for whatever this demon is, how are we?"

"I could help you fight it." Spike's deep voice came from the bathroom where he was still chained to the bathtub.

"Like we'd trust you as far as..." Buffy trailed off. She didn't want to offend any of her friends. "As far as a grizzled old man could throw you."

"Bloody hell!" The voice was getting angrier. "Listen, slayer. If that thing is after demons as well as people like you've said it is, I'm bloody well on the list. Do you think I'm happy with offering my services?" There was silence for a moment. "Stupid bint."

"Spike, that's more than enough." Giles sighed and took off his glasses and began cleaning them. "I fear that Spike is right. We may need all the man power that we can get." He turned to Riley. "You've said that your army buddies are in a bit of disarray at the moment?"

"Yeah." Riley began pacing. He was noticeably limping as he did. "With Professor Walsh dead, there wasn't really a clear second in command. We're waiting for a colonel to be sent from Washington. But that could still be a few days."

"I see." Giles began cleaning his glasses again. He had a really sad look on his face. "We may have no other choice than to turn to witchcraft." He turned to Willow and Tara who still held each other tight. "You girls may just stand be between the destruction of the world and salvation."

"Gee, but no pressure." Xander laughed nervously. "Giles, Willow already has control issues. Did you have to go and say that as well?"

"Yes, well." Giles cleared his throat. "I have a couple ideas that might help. But we would need to be on the inside for us to take full advantage of them." He turned to Riley. "Do you think that could be arranged?"

"It might be tricky." Riley shook his head. "If the Initiative wasn't such a big mess, I could guarantee it. But I'm not sure who is acting on their own and who is still acting for the Initiative."

"I understand." Giles turned his attention back to the two young and powerful witches. "The one spell that I think would be most useful would be a joining spell. Have you two ever heard of such a spell?"

Tara nodded shyly. Willow smiled. "Yeah. We, um, kinda, well let's just say we thought it meant something else." Both girls faces turned beet red as everyone else started to shift uncomfortably. "But the good is that we are familiar. But if what I think you are suggesting is what you are suggesting, it's gonna require a lot of power. And for the four of us to be close together and not disturbed. Plus Tara would need to be there to help keep me, heh, grounded."

"Precisely." Giles nodded. "That's why us having inside access would be the best possible solution. And if we can count on him, Spike could help protect us while we perform the spell."

"And what about me?" Anya looked around the room. "I don't want to be there. Can I stay home?"

"By all means." Giles rolled his eyes. "It will take a day or two to prepare the spell and for everyone to learn their role. I say that we adjourn for the day. I suggest that Riley and Buffy stay at the Summers' residence. I believe that Willow and Tara will be safe in her dorm. And Xander, you and Anya stick together. Olivia and I will stay here. Call if anything should happen." He watched as they all slowly went back to their homes.

"I don't like it." Anya paced back and forth. "You could be killed. We should get out of here like I did the last time we faced an apocalypse."

"An, honey. You know that I have to stay here." He took Anya in his arms. "Willow, Buffy, and I have seen each other through a lot. I'm not going to bail on them now. I was hoping you wouldn't either." He gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"As long as you are willing to die, I'm willing to stay here and watch you die." She kissed him back. "I just got a boyfriend. I don't want to lose him already."

"Is this all too much?" Giles was lying on his couch, Olivia stretched out in front of him.

"A bit." She laughed. "I'm still having trouble with Buffy as the slayer. She's just so tiny."

"Yes, well." Giles sighed. "There are so many things over the years that I wanted to tell you. Now, you know that everything is real."

"Scary." Olivia thought for a few minutes. "But so is synchronized swimming."

"Good night, mom." Buffy smiled at Riley. "She trusts us. She just doesn't want to believe that we aren't having sex. Even though we almost..."

Riley smiled at her. "We almost. He leaned up from the floor and kissed her. "After all of this is over, we have got to have a real talk. You know that, right?"

"Yeah." Buffy smiled. "We sorta found out about the other. But, I have a feeling there is a lot more to tell. But we may not survive."

Riley shot her a look. "I know I'm still new to this whole fighting evil. But isn't a positive attitude just as good as a killer right cross."

Buffy smiled. "I'm not saying we are going to die. All I'm saying is that, if you think about it, it's a possibility. After all, that pretty much is a slayer's legacy. And, well, you signed on to fight all these evil things. I'm sure you guys' life span isn't much more than mine."

"I guess." Riley looked up into Buffy's eyes. "I just want to be there for you. No matter what. I don't like the thought of either of us dying."

"Neither do I, Riley Finn."

Tara was sitting at one end of the bed, Willow the other. Both had volumes in their hand. Books that neither of them had gotten a chance to read. They were hoping that there was something about the control thing inside one of them.

But it was still looking useless at this point. Willow slammed the book shut and picked up the one that Giles had given them to study. It was the one that contained the joining spell.

"You all right?" Tara asked from her end of the bed. When Willow didn't answer her, she scooched her way so that they were nearly touching, they were so close. "It's really hard, isn't it?" Tara put her hand on the red head's.

"You have know idea." She stopped. "Maybe you do." She looked into the blonde's bright blue eyes. "I have this power that I have trouble controlling, and you have this demon inside of you that will come out in a few months." She swallowed hard. "I guess you are the only one in the world that understands. Or, at least here among the scoobies."

Tara smiled. "Yeah, I sorta know what you're going through. I'm wondering if I had this demon power right now. If I could control it, would it be enough to stop this demon."

"Adam." Willow rolled her eyes at the name. "You know, Professor Walsh was one brilliant teacher. But she went all wacko on us and is leaving us to clean up her mess." She squeezed Tara's hand. I think that might be one of my biggest fears. That I do something that the rest of you would have to clean up after me. It's not a pleasant thought."

"No, it's not." Tara leaned her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. "But didn't somebody tell me that we would face anything together. That as long as we were together, we could face down anything."

Willow smiled at the thought. "Yeah, but who knew we'd be facing down some Frankenstein monster creation. One that seems to be pretty much unkillable."

"Now who doesn't have faith in the two of us." Tara let out a small giggle. "It's not gonna be easy. Nothing worth doing ever is. Even our relationship has taken work. But it's well worth it. In about five months, we'll be able to celebrate being together for a year. And neither of us thought we'd be more than friends when we first got together."

"You're right." She leaned her head against the blonde's. "I love you so much. I don't know how I lived before. Maybe I wasn't living. Maybe I was just being. This is what I call real living. You and me. Together forever." Willow stood up suddenly. So suddenly that she knocked Tara to the floor. She quickly bent down and helped her girlfriend up. "I'm so sorry baby. I just thought of something."

Tara rubbed her elbow. She had hit her funny bone and it wasn't feeling so funny at the moment. "What? What's got you so excited. Is it something that can help with Adam?"

Willow smiled brightly. She smiled bigger than she ever had. "I know how to control my powers." She picked up the book that contained the joining spell. "And you wouldn't have to be any where near me when I do the spell. It would keep you out of harms way. And that would help me focus."

"What exactly are you getting at?" Tara looked at the book Willow was holding, not understanding.

"We are almost as one now, right?" Tara smiled and nodded her head. "Well, what if we sorta made it official."

"Willow, we can't legally get married..." Tara's eyes brightened as she realized what her girlfriend was getting at. "You mean that you want the two of us to join. And that way the control that I've learned over the years would automatically be yours. We would forever be one."

"Right." Willow raised an eyebrow. "And the other joining spell would be temporary. I mean, the one that would join me, Buffy, Giles, and Xander. You could stay with Anya. Protect her with magicks if need be."

Tara smiled. "So, we're going to get hitched are we?"

Willow laughed. It was rare that Tara joked. It made her heart feel so good. Especially since she might not survive the next day. But if she didn't, at least her everything would be safe. And that's what mattered.

AN Sorry if all my cliffhangers are that bad. I just like leaving off where I know that most people will want to come back. I hope this one is better. Oh, and Charmed Lassie you aren't a slouch when it comes to cliffhangers yourself. You just don't do them quite as often as I do. Thanks for everyone for continuing to read my story. I love you guys! You make it worth it.


	28. 28

AN Hope you don't mind. I thought about this one while listening to Shania Twain's 'Up' CD as I do whenever I'm writing. The song is called 'When you Kiss Me'. I know you want me to keep the story going, but I also thought that before the big battle, there could be some alone time and reflection on their lives. At least for Willow and Tara. I promise to continue the story soon. I hope you enjoy.

Willow tried to sleep. But it was no use. This was no different than all the other apocalypses she had faced. The uncertainty of whether or not all of them or any of them would survive had her so worked up, she was having even trouble breathing. Let alone trying to really sleep.

The one good thing about this night, she was with her everything. She knew that Buffy was with Riley. And Xander and Anya were together. Giles had managed to convince Olivia to stay as well. Each one of her friends had somebody, somebody very special and dear to them.

But she felt she was the luckiest one of all. When she had first met Tara, she just knew. There was never going to be another person in the world for her. Even if she hadn't been having feelings of attraction towards other women, she would have known that Tara was her everything. The two of them were meant to be together.

She carefully rolled over, trying not to wake Tara if she were actually sleeping. The blonde seemed to be. Her breathing was slow and heavy. It was nearly impossible for Willow to simple look at her. She wanted to be touching her. The thought of kisses covering her body was driving her insane. The kisses would help her to forget. Forget what lie ahead.

But there was also another thought. It kinda crept into her mind. A song that they had danced to kept flashing through her mind. And after what Tara had finally shared with her, it made more sense to her than ever. This so was what they were about at the moment. Even with this big evil over their heads, there was one thought that kept Willow calm.

Getting to know Tara. In every way possible. Because the blonde gave her something. The biggest gift of all. She gave her love and that was everything. For her love made her forget all of the pain.

_This could be it, I think I'm in love_

_it's love this time_

_it just seems to fit, I think I'm in love_

_this love is mine_

_I can see you with me when I'm older_

_all my lonely nights are finally over_

_you took the weight of the world off my_

_shoulders (the world just goes away)_

Tara rolled over. She hadn't been sleeping at all. She had been trying to meditate. She had been trying calm all these feelings. She had only faced the end of the world once. She and Willow had been the possible cause. And together, they had defeated Spike and saved the world.

But this felt different. Was it because she wouldn't be by her lover's side? Was it because there was nothing that she could do to help? Only give her control and strength and let Willow do the rest.

She feigned like she was sleeping. The blonde didn't know why. All her strength she got was from the red head lying next to her. And all she had to do was reach out, and she could feel that strength. But she didn't want to distract the witch. If she were trying to sleep, or studying the spell.

They had known each other for what felt like a lifetime. But yet, they still knew so little about one another. There was still so much to discover. One thing that she was grateful for Willow for. She finally felt like she belonged somewhere. Like she had finally found a home. And when they kissed or simply were together, it was amazing. The world around them seemed to disappear and it was just the two of them.

_oh, when you kiss me_

_I know you miss me_

_and when you're with me_

_the world just goes away_

_the way you hold me_

_the way you show me that you_

_adore me oh when you kiss me_

_oh yeah_

Finally, both women opened their eyes at the same time. They smiled because they both knew they had been pretending to sleep. Who could possibly sleep on a night like this they both wondered. Neither of these brave women can.

Partly, that's because of the impending battle. Partly, it's because of the closeness of the two. They are so near to one another, and not just in a physical presence. The joining spell hasn't really even begun, but they are now connected in every way possible. The spell will just amplify that already deep connection they will always have.

Willow is the first to react. Her hand touches the soft cheek of the blonde. The blonde holds that hand there with gentle pressure. The touch is everything. It means everything. The two are so full of need and want. But a simple touch means so much more than all of that.

The red head slowly moves closer. There lips brush gently. Before kissing the blonde, she simple stares into those beautiful blue eyes. They hold her gaze like she is under a spell and unable to move. Finally, she can't control herself any longer. She needs to have the world simply go away.

_You are the one, I think I'm in love_

_life has begun_

_I can see the two of us together_

_I know I'm gonna be with you forever_

_love couldn't be any better_

The two woman kiss for a long time. Finally, they break apart. Still, Willow's hand is on Tara's cheek, Tara's hand on Willow's. That touch has not been lost. And it never will be. And the kiss has done its part. The two are the only ones that exist at the moment.

Again, the two simply stare into one another's eyes. Words would be redundant. They would only lessen the meaning of the touching of their hands. They would only lessen the meaning of what their lips say when they touch. And might just break the powerful spell that holds the world at bay.

The two dance well with one another. But it's not a dance to song. No. The dance that these two lovers share is the one that love is the melody for. And no one can hear. The two are in their own little world, without a care.

The melody is love, the rhythm of the dance is their two hearts beating as one. Knowing glances are also a part of the dance. Loving touches that can't be understood by anyone else. These two women are sharing a dance.

_I can see you with me when I'm older_

_all my lonely nights are finally over_

_you took the weight of the world off my_

_shoulders (the world just goes away)_

The dance leads to kissing more and more. It's because the kissing lets them know. It tells them that they are the only one for the other. It tells them that this is their world and nobody else exists in it.

A world where it is just the two of them. There is nothing to fear. There is nothing to hide. It's just two lovers being with one another. And the impending doom fades away with everything else.

_And when you kiss me_

_I know you miss me_

_oh, the world just goes away_

_when you kiss me_


	29. 29

Willow stared into Tara's sparkling blue eyes for the longest time. It was time. Fortunately or unfortunately, it was time. They had done the joining spell. It had been weird at first. Their thoughts had become one. There was no separation of the two anymore.

Now all that was needed for them was to let each other go. In the sense that Willow had to go and fight this big demon with Giles, Xander, and Buffy, while Tara stayed with Anya and Olivia at Giles' apartment. They would be mentally together, always. But they had to separate now. And it was so hard to leave the woman they loved so much.

The other joining spell, the more complicated one, would join the essence of Willow, Giles, Xander, and Buffy. It would use Buffy's slayer strength and combine it with Giles' knowledge, Xander's heart, and Willow's magicks. It was the only way that there was even a chance at defeating this big bad known as Adam. He was virtually unstoppable.

"I'll be waiting for you." Tara smiled shyly at Willow.

"I'll come back to you, I promise." They held each other's eyes longer. "If I should need help with the control, you'll be hearing from me. I don't want to have to call on you because it could mean that I'm going over the edge. And you saw what that was like."

Tara nodded. Her smile faded a little at the memory of a Willow determined to destroy Spike. "That's what we are here for. We are here to help each other no matter what. I love you and will always, always be here for you."

Willow smiled. "I know. That's what keeps me going when things seem to get so crazy like this." She pulled Tara even closer to her. "I love you too. And I will always be here for you as well." She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "I don't want to let go."

"Than don't." Willow pulled back. "Never let go of my heart. It now belongs to you. I give it to you because I know that you will take care of it better than you take care of your own heart."

Willow smiled even larger. "And you know that my heart is yours. You will take care of it because you know how fragile it is." She sighed before she gently placed her lips on Tara's.

There was another conversation going on behind them. "When this is all over, we'll talk more. We need to talk." Buffy looked up into Riley's eyes. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm falling for you, mister Riley Finn. And I want us to start a real relationship. In the sense that we know everything about each other. We won't have to hide anything anymore."

"I'd like that. 'Cause I'm falling for you, too." He leaned down and kissed her gently. "The troups and I'll try to keep Adam out of the initiative. If he gets in, he may release all those demons we've got captured."

"Business talk." Buffy smiled big. "How unromantic." She laughed at the look on Riley's face. "No big. Don't worry. Like I said, once we get through this, we'll talk about real life. Not our jobs."

"Buffy, be careful." He smiled at her.

"You too, big guy." She sighed.

There was another separate conversation going on. "But I don't want you to die, Xander." Anya's voice was getting a little shrill. "We just found that we smoosh well together. And there is more than just smooshing between us. It would be very hard to find somebody that I smoosh so well with."

Xander smiled at his girlfriend. He put his hand on her face. "I'll be all right. I've faced several apocalypses before. I've come out standing every time."

"Yes, but you never had a girlfriend like me before." Anya looked pleadingly at him. "Do you really want to just go, even though you know that I'm here. And that if you die, I will be all alone. Do you really want that Xander?"

Xander leaned in and kissed her. "I will be all right. And you won't exactly be alone. You'll have Tara."

"Eww!" Anya looked over at Willow and Tara who were busy making out. And right before an apocalypse. She so wished that was her and Xander right now. "No offense to Tara. She's a sweet girl, but I like smooshing with guys."

Xander rolled his eyes. "I meant that she would be your friend, that's all."

"Oh." Anya looked worried still. "I don't like it Xander. What if you don't come back?"

"I will. That's a promise."

And the final conversation between two lovers was Giles and Olivia. "Makes you want to go back to England and never come back, does it not?"

Olivia smiled at Giles. "I'll admit, Rupert, this is not the type of relationship I had in mind. Of course, I never thought that vampires or demons were really real. And now, I have to watch you walk out that door. And you may never come back to me."

"Nonsense." He pulled her into a hug. "I'll come back. I may have a concussion from being knocked out yet again, but I will come back. That I promise you."

"And what than?" Olivia looked into is eyes. "Can we build a relationship while I'm still in England and you are here risking your life fighting evil?"

Giles swallowed. "I guess it depends on how badly we want the relationship to last."

Finally, all the lovers broke apart. Tara, Anya, and Olivia were staying back in Giles apartment. It was Tara's job to protect them with magick, if need be. But she didn't feel she was strong enough. Even after Willow had insisted that she is. Only time would tell.

Riley and Spike made their way into the initiative. It raised a few eyebrows that Riley was now allowing a former captive to run around loose. He had to quickly explain about the Adam situation. And how they thought that Adam was on his way to the initiative to try and take over.

The colonel wasn't any too happy. In fact, he was greatly disbelieving what Finn had said to him. But Riley had persuaded enough of his own friends to help him with the upcoming situation. The rest would fall in line when the fighting began. If there was any fighting.

That left Willow, Buffy, Xander, and Giles to find a nice quiet place inside of the initiative. One that would allow access for Buffy to roam around once the spell had taken affect. The joining spell was one of the most powerful that Willow had ever attempted, at least knowingly attempted. Her control would mean everything to the spell.

Inside the empty lab, the four sat looking at one another. This wasn't the first time the four had faced the end of the world together. And it wasn't going to be the last time, either. They all knew that. This was just their latest battle in the war with evil. A war that would probably never end.

"So, we all set?" Willow looked anxious. She was having trouble with the whole her doing something that could possible make her lose control and therefore destroy the world thing.

"As ready for a doomed mission as we'll ever be." Xander smiled. "What? Just saying what everyone was thinking."

"I was actually thinking how much fun it was going to be to kick Adam's ass." Buffy stared at Xander. "At least, I hope I get to kick his ass. With your guy's help."

"Shall we begin." Giles was getting a little impatient himself. Another day, another apocalypse.

"All righty than." Willow watched as all sat in a circle around her. She took out all the magickal stuff, including the magick gourd that Spike had made fun of. "Let's do it." She took a deep breath as everyone joined hands. "I implore thee, spirits of the slayer, grant us the wish. The wish that I, the power.."

She squeezed Xander's hand. "I, the heart.."

Giles was next. "I, the mind..."

"And I, the vessel..." Buffy spoke quietly.

Willow continued. "That all of these strengths be joined into one." There was a banging on the door. They hadn't realized that there was fighting on the other side of the door that they had barricaded. In fact, every demon was loose from its cage.

There was a light that began with Willow. The light slowly surged through Xander and Giles. Finally, it made its way to Buffy. When she opened her eyes, there was the glow. An orange glow. It was all of their strengths combined into one.

Buffy slowly got up. The other three sat still. They were motionless. It was like their bodies were empty shells. The only thing that made Willow look like there was anything at all was the black flashes that made their way into her eyes. Inside, she was struggling with the power that was so important to keep the spell going.

Buffy made her way out the barricade. It was total chaos all around her. Demons were attacking demons. Demons were attacking army guys. Riley and Spike were having trouble keeping things together. And standing on the stairs near the elevator, smiling, was Adam.

The slayer made her way through the chaos. Sometimes she took the time to kill a demon or two. Mostly, she just shoved demon and army guy out of her way. Her only goal was to stop Adam. He was the one that could destroy the world.

Finally, she stood before the Frankenstein like demon. "Are we going to try this again slayer. You know that I am stronger than you. You can not even conceive of what I am."

"Oh, no?" Buffy's voice was funny. It was like it was blended with the other scoobies. "I think you'll find things are just a little different this time." She nodded. "Shall we?"

Buffy easily dodged each of Adam's blows. Her hits were still seeming to have no affect on the demon. But she was able to avoid all of his moves, for now. Than, she began saying a spell. It was a paralyzing spell that needed to be said in Samaritan. Which she alone would not have known.

Adam froze in his tracks. She again tried to decapitate him. But there was nothing. No weapon was making a dent. It was as if the demon really was unbeatable. And that's when the combined Buffy thought of something. Why not take away its power source.

She was about to start a spell that would take away whatever was powering the thing. That's when the orange glow in her eyes faded. Faded enough for Adam to break through the paralyzing spell. He quickly grabbed her around the neck.

"Now let's see you defeat me, slayer." Adam began squeezing. Ever so slowly.

Back in the lab, Willow's eyes were nearly all black now. She was fighting hard, but she just couldn't keep control of her power. And it was costing her Buffy. Her bestest friend was in some serious trouble because her control was fading fast.

_Willow, can you hear me?_ A familiar voice was suddenly inside of her head. Her everything was talking to her. But how? _You need to let me in. You are blocking me. I can help you regain the control, if you let me._ Willow shook her head. The feeling of the power was so addictive. She wasn't sure if she wanted it to go away or not. _Buffy needs you. So do the others._ There was still no response. _Willow, baby. I need you. Please don't let me alone to face my demon side. I'm so afraid, baby._

Willow's eyes instantly turned back. Not to the green, but the nice orange glow. Back with Adam, Buffy's eyes brightened as well. She quickly said the paralyzing spell. Adam froze again, releasing her from his grip.

She coughed and sputtered before she managed to catch her breath. She stared at the demon. The spell came out of her mouth without even another thought. It wasn't long before a greenish tube came at her. The tube found its way floating in her hand. It folded in on itself and disappeared in a flash of green light. Adam fell to the floor, nothing but a shell now.

Buffy collapsed to the floor as well. Just as a demon was about to take her head off, Spike stepped in and broke it's neck. "You all right slayer?"

"Give me a sec." She smiled big. "Than we'll kick all these demon's asses back to hell or whatever dimension they come from."

Spike ran off and continued the fight. Riley and his army guys were getting the upper hand. Willow, Giles, and Xander didn't take long to make their way next to Buffy. All four stared at each other for a moment. "Let's kick ass." Buffy smiled. "And that way we can get back to our honeys."

It didn't take long. Not with all the army guys, Spike, and the scoobies all working together. A few demons did escape. But they had defeated one of the biggest bads they had ever faced. Until the next one comes along.

AN Sounds like the end, doesn't it? But I think I have more in store for those of you that want to keep following along. If you want me to. Just let me know. I love writing and this has been a fun story to write. If you want, I'll keep it going.


	30. 30

Willow looked at the long green grass that surrounded her. Her everything was lying on a plaid flannel blanket with a wicker picnic basket next to her. They were spending the summer in England. Giles had offered them the use of his cottage near Bath. And as luck would have it, the coven wasn't too far away.

The two were spending the time with the coven. They were trying both to learn to control their powers. After what had nearly happened, Willow didn't want to even chance another spell. She could so have easily destroyed the world. If her blonde girlfriend hadn't been able to get through to her.

Buffy had almost lost her life as it was. Willow could tell that there was now a little bit of a strain between them. They really hadn't spoken before she and Tara had left. Not that the red head could blame her. After all, it was so her fault that Adam had almost squeezed the life out of her.

Speaking of Adam and the initiative, Riley had watched the higher ups basically deny any involvement. It was supposedly all Professor Walsh's doing. And that they had learned their lesson. They would never again enter the foray of demons.

For whatever reason, Willow was having trouble believing them. And it was hard on Riley. He had been a soldier. That was a major part of who he had become. Now, he was just a civilian trying to adjust.

Even thought they hadn't spoken much, Willow knew that it was killing Buffy to see Riley struggling so much. They really had grown really close in such a short time. And that was a good thing. But it also lead to the possibility of getting hurt.

On the good front, sorta, Xander and Anya were still into the dating. They were getting closer as well. Willow was still having trouble seeing what her friend saw in the ex demon. It would figure that Xander would fall for another demony type woman. It was kinda expected now.

Olivia was here in England as well. Giles really hadn't confided in Willow on what was going on. She didn't know if the two were going to get back together or not. That battle with Adam had apparently been too much for her.

And that was a real shame. Giles hadn't really had anybody in his life. At least, not since Miss Calendar had died. And that nearly killed him. Seeing him happy with Olivia had been great. And Willow so wanted all of her friends to be happy like she is.

"What are you thinking?" The sweet sound of her girlfriend's voice made her gaze go from the tall green grass to that oh so beautiful face. "You look deep in thought."

Willow smiled. There was one thing in this world that she knew for sure. She had told Tara it many times. They were meant to be. And they would always be together. "Sorta, I guess." She sighed, not being able to really put into words what she was feeling. "I guess, the scoobies."

Tara smiled her shy smile. "You hoping they are as happy as we are right now?"

Willow quickly made her way next to the blonde wicca. "That would be wonderful for them. We've all been through so much since Buffy came to town. And I'm not blaming her. It was fate. Fate that I was born and raised on a hellmouth. Fate that Buffy just happens to be the slayer. Fate that the slayer would go where she was needed the most. It's all fate."

"And what about us?" Tara's smile grew a little. "Was it fate that we ended up together as well?"

"That wasn't just fate." Willow put her hand on the blonde's cheek. "That was how it was written in the stars. It was written long before we were even born. The two of us being together was definitely something that neither of us could change. We are like two halves that make a whole. And I'm so glad that we are." Now she leaned in for a quick kiss.

They both sighed as they could hear the nearby church bells tolling the hour. They didn't have long until their next meeting with the coven. They both liked the group made mostly of women. But it would mean they wouldn't be alone anymore. And the two of them simply adored being with only one another.

"It's almost time for class." That's what Tara had dubbed the whole coven thing. It was like another class the two of them were taking. Her eyes fell from Willow's. "I know that the fall is still a long way off, but I was wondering something."

Willow straightened. Tara's tone was a little more serious than she had been expecting. "What is it, Sweeite?"

Tara still couldn't seem to make eye contact with her girlfriend. "I was wondering about, um, where we were going to, uh, live next semester. I m-mean, are you going to stay with Buffy? Or..."

"Or are we going to live with one another?" Willow smiled as Tara still wouldn't look her in the eyes. Gently, she put her hand underneath the blonde's chin. As slowly as she could, she forced Tara to look into her emerald eyes. "I'm surprised that you even have to ask what I want."

Tara again tried to look away, but Willow kept her firm grip on her chin, forcing her to keep looking into those beautiful eyes. "I know. You'll want to stay with Buffy. I just thought I'd ask. I need to make arrangements still. A-and..."

She was cut off by Willow's lips on her own. They lingered for several minutes that way. "Now that I've got your complete attention." She smiled brightly. "I know that Buffy and I are best friends. And in the past, I always planned on living with Buffy. Even when we got older, I envisioned us at least living right next to each other. But..." She trailed off and kissed Tara lightly on the lips. Those kisses were so sweet tasting.

When they broke apart, Tara looked at Willow. She knew what Willow was going to say. But she needed to hear the words for herself. "But what?"

"Things have changed." The red head smiled so brightly. "I never thought I could feel this good. Things were always good before, but this is so much better. You and me are more than just girlfriends. We were meant to be. And I want to spend every last second of every last day in your arms. Since we can't really do that, I at least want to be as close to you as possible. And that means that the two of us are going to live together. Where, I'm not sure. But as long as the two of us are together, I don't care where it is."

Tara smiled. "I was hoping that you would say that." She just couldn't keep herself from Willow's lips. They tasted as sweet as vine ripened strawberries. And were so intoxicating. Both women were losing track of time. When Tara finally pulled back, she didn't have the happy face that Willow thought that she might have.

"Something wrong?" Willow became very worried. "Did I do something wrong? You don't want us living together, do you?"

Tara shook her head. "It's not that. I'm sorry. It's just that, well, we still have my issues to deal with. My birthday is only a few months away. We don't have that long to..."

She was silenced by the red head's finger gently placed on her lips. "I know we haven't known each other a year yet. But we've already been through a lot in that time. I'm dealing with my inner demons now. Maybe, maybe you're family is wrong. You've told me they weren't that nice to you. Maybe, they are just saying that you will turn into a demon. Or, maybe we need to find out more about this. We are here with a lot of other powerful witches. Maybe one of them can help, if you trust them enough to tell them your secret. Or maybe it is time that we tell the gang what's going on."

Tara shrugged. There were so many possibilities. She wasn't sure which one was the right one. She loved Willow with all of her heart. But she wasn't sure if her friends really accepted the blonde as one of them. She still felt like such an outsider most of the time.

"I know that there are a lot of things that could be. Or might be. Or, whatever." Willow took the blonde into a hug. "Just know one thing, we are here together. We are always going to be together. We can face the end of the world as long as we are together. Nothing can change that fact. I love you way too much."

Tara smiled and let herself melt into the hold that Willow had on her. They just held each other for what seemed like forever. In fact, it was a little too long. The church bells tolling the hour broke them out of the embrace.

"We are so in trouble." Willow quickly gathered up their picnic supplies. Tara helped as best as she could. "We really should get back. And now. You know how Mrs. Hardgrove feels about us being late."

The two women hurried across the hillside. It took them ten minutes to get the coven. Which made them almost twenty minutes late. A group full of people stared at them. A woman with gray hair stared the hardest.

"You two should know better." The voice was stern. But there was also a gentleness about it as well. "We've been waiting for you two."

"We're sorry." Willow, followed by Tara, quickly took their seats in the front of the old style school house. "It was just so beautiful and we lost track of time and we're really sorry and we promise it won't happen again."

"You're right, it won't." Both girls looked at each other and than at Mrs. Hardgrove. "I received this telegram today. You two are needed back in the states. Mr. Giles wouldn't go into detail, but there seems to be something that only the two of you can handle. I really wish that you wouldn't leave now. You two have come so far. But you've still so much to learn."

"Well," Willow hesitated. "Maybe it's not that bad. Or maybe we can come back. Something."

"You'd best get in contact with Mr. Giles." Mrs. Hardgrove sighed. "I'm afraid that you will not be able to attend this final class. That's how urgent whatever it is seems to be."

Willow and Tara again exchanged looks. "I'm sorry. I hope that we get to come back. I learned so much from you and the others. I just hope it's enough."

Both women slowly made their way back to Giles' cottage. They walked hand in hand and in silence. Both women had this sudden feeling of dread. Like something really bad was happening back home. Something that they needed to be there for.

When they got to the door, there was a telegram taped to the door. Willow took it off. Both women made their way inside and sat down next to each other on the sofa. They held hands as they read the words.

_You must come at once. I'm sorry for the briefness of this. And the fact that you have to stop the coven. But something is going on back in Sunnydale. Buffy has been injured. She will recover. But things are getting worse. And we don't know what is behind all of it. The council is of no help. Please, come at once._

Willow stared at the yellow piece of paper. Buffy had gotten hurt? What about Xander? And there was this new big bad in town. Why was it important that she and Tara come back. Could it have to do with something magicks?

"I'll make the call to the airport. You start packing." Willow jumped off of the sofa and grabbed the telephone. The first flight wouldn't be for another two hours. "I'm calling Giles." The phone at his apartment rang and rang. "What is going on?" She now dialed Xander's number. Again, there was no answer. Finally, she tried Buffy's number.

Mrs. Summers answered the phone. "Hello? Mr. Giles, is that you? Buffy?"

"It's Willow." The red head didn't like the sound of the older woman's voice. "What's going on?"

"You don't know?" Willow could hear Joyce's voice begin to crack. "There apparently was this group of three that were trying to open the hellmouth. Buffy stopped them, but she got her arm broke and she had a concussion. But there were still signs of the hellmouth opening. Giles and Buffy went to the old school last night. I haven't heard from them since."


	31. 31

Willow's heart wouldn't stop beating fast. Ever since they'd talked to Buffy's mother, there was no calming down the red head. And she was worried about that. One of the things they'd both learned while in England was how tied into their powers their emotions are. She was afraid of doing something seeing that her emotions were so on edge.

The taxi pulled up in front of the Summer's house. Willow quickly payed the driver and both she and Tara ran to the front door. Willow practically knocked the door down she pounded so hard. In an instant, Joyce was standing before them. Her face looked haggard.

The two witches quickly made their way into the living room. "Still no word from either?" Willow asked, not being able to hide her worry. Tara slipped her hand into the red head's. That was their natural thing when one needed strength or comforting.

Joyce shook her head. It appeared that she was near tears. "It's been two days. I don't know where they are. I've searched everywhere I can think of. So have Xander and his girlfriend Anya. It was weird, but Spike was helping out as well."

"What about Riley?" Willow looked at Tara. Her face was that of one that was worried as well. "Has he been able to use any of his old commando contacts?"

Again, Joyce shook her head. "They won't even acknowledge his existence. We are on our own, I'm afraid. Riley has been searching night and day since they went missing. He's blaming himself for not going with them."

"I've been sorta blaming myself for not being here." Willow shook her head. "If I hadn't gotten so dang out of control." She felt Tara squeeze her hand. "But I'm here now." She turned to Tara. "I know my control isn't at it's best right now, with the high emotions and all, but I think we have no option but to try and do a locator spell. What do you think?"

Tara sighed. Willow had come so far in her struggle with control. Even Tara didn't realize how little control she herself had. It had been a wonderful trip to England. Especially since the two of them had gotten to spend a lot of alone time together. "We have to do what we have to do. W-we'll just have to be extra careful, that's all."

Willow nodded in agreement. She turned back to Joyce who had a confused look on her face. "Remember, I'm a witch. So is Tara. We might have a way to find them. But I've had problems with control in the past. That's the only drawback that I can see at the moment. But I think it is for the best." Joyce nodded. "We'll need some supplies. I hate to ask, but can we borrow your car. It'll be faster that way."

"Of course." Joyce walked over to her purse and pulled out the keys. "I'd offer to drive, but I want to be here in case she calls. I need to be here just incase."

"We'll find her." Willow hugged Joyce tightly. "I promise you that." It wasn't long before they had gathered all the supplies. They were back in the Summers' living room. Xander, Anya, and Spike had also gathered. It was indeed the strangest thing. Spike was almost a willing member of the scooby gang. Riley was still out searching on his own. "This shouldn't take much. And I've tried to focus. Tara." The blonde stepped into the circle with her. There was a map of Sunnydale lying between them.

A few little words later, and there was nothing. It appeared that neither Giles or Buffy existed anymore. At least they didn't exist on the same plane as everyone else.

"Are you sure the two of you did that right?" Xander looked from Tara to Willow. "You have been known to have spells go all kerplewy before."

Willow stared at Xander. "This is not one of those times. I'm telling you, something happened. Something magical. I think they've been sent to another dimension. And if that's true, we've got to figure out which one and how to get them back."

"But how are we going to do that when we don't know what kind of magicks were used?" Anya spoke up.

"I'm working on it. Give me some time." Willow was flipping through a couple of books at the same time. "I can get it, I know that I can."

"But time is not something they may have." Xander stood in front of Willow.

"Don't you think I know that?" Willow shook her head. "Don't you think I think about the fact that if I'd been here and instead of in rehab, I might have been able to stop, or at least help with whatever happened. Don't you think I've been blaming myself all the way from England. And it's a long trip, let me tell you. It started off as a nice romantic trip with a little bit of business to do. And than, I get the telegram. And than, I call home and find out Buffy and Giles are both missing. Don't you think I've been kicking myself all the way from England." Tears were forming in the corners of the red head's eyes.

"Will, I'm sorry." Xander swallowed hard. He wrapped his best friend into a big ole hug. "I'm sorry to put all this added pressure on you. I'm just worried about them both. And not knowing is the hardest thing of all."

"It's cool Xander." She pulled out of the hug and smiled at him. "I'm worried too." She looked into his eyes for a moment. "Oh, why didn't I think of this before." She turned to Tara. "It might just work. If we can find where they were last at." She turned to Joyce. "You said that they went to the old school, right?"

"That's right." Joyce wasn't understanding.

"Well, Tara and I might be able to trace whatever magicks were used if we can find the place that they were taken from." She turned to Xander. "You still got your car?"

"Sure." He looked at Willow. "We on a road trip? To the old stomping grounds of Sunnydale High?"

"Yeah." It wasn't long before all five of them were standing out side the burnt remains of the high school. Willow couldn't help but flash back to when she and Oz broke up. It was a sad memory. Even though she had found the person that she was meant to be with always, it still hurt a little. But it had been for the best for both of them.

"So, either of you sensing anything?" Spike moved carefully in and out of the debris. "I'd say we best make this quick. This place doesn't look the soundest."

Xander turned to Spike. "Not that I don't like having a guy that can beat up on demons here, but why are you here?"

He shrugged. "Nothing on the telly. I figured I'd help you losers out, that's all."

"Right." Xander turned his attention to the two witches. "So, as Spike asked, you two sensing anything?"

Willow looked like she was concentrating hard. Out of instinct, she took Tara's hand in her own. "I think I am." The two walked a little with their eyes closed. It was like they were working off a sixth sense or something. "This way." Their pace quickened and the others followed. "Here." Willow's eyes widened when she opened them again. "Not here!"

Xander looked around. "This is so not of the good."

"What?" Both Anya and Spike asked at the same time.

"This is the hellmouth." Willow squeezed Tara's hand tighter for comfort and support. "This is where the biggest bads try to break through to our reality. Buffy and Giles could be in hell right now."

And in fact, they are. Buffy was busy fighting off some type of demon. Which proved rather difficult with her left arm broken and in a cast. Giles was already knocked unconscious. She had already killed five demons. Her strength wasn't going to hold out much longer.

Back at the hellmouth, Willow and Tara were trying to do another locator spell. But this wasn't a locator spell like they had tried before. It was that much more powerful. It was a locator spell to locate someone in another dimension.

Before they could get started, they heard a familiar British voice. "You needn't bother with the spell ladies. I can tell you where they are." Ethan Rayne made his way out of the shadows. "But it won't do you a bit of good. Only I know how to bring them back. And I'm not quite ready for that."

Willow rushed over to Ethan. "I suggest that you tell me where they are and how to get them back. Or I may just get a little cranky."

"And that's supposed to scare me somehow?" Ethan shook his head and laughed. "I remember you back at Halloween. Granted it has been almost three years. But the girl I knew couldn't harm anything." He smiled really big.

Willow's eyes instantly turned black. "Let's just say that I've done a little growing up since than. Again, I suggest you tell me what I want to know. I'm already getting a little cranky." A lightening bolt landed only a foot away from Ethan.

He stared at the ground as it continued to sizzle where she had sent the lightening bolt. He swallowed hard and looked back at Willow with a new respect in his eyes. "I wish I could help you. It seems that the spell that I used, it was a time thing. They will come back on their own. If they're still alive."

Willow was instantly face to face with Ethan. "You had better hope that they are. My control is kinda weakening. And you can ask Spike there what I'm like when I don't have my control. That lightening bolt struck exactly where I intended it to. I wonder if we shouldn't paint a bull's eyes on your forehead. That way we can see how good my control and aim really are."

Ethan tried to back away from Willow but tripped over a half of a wall. He was lying on his back looking up at the witch. Her eyes had returned to their natural green color. But he could still feel the power surrounding her. "You have grown quite a bit, haven't you?"

"When exactly is this supposed to wear off?" Willow eyed the Englishman with a great deal of hate.

"Tonight at midnight." Ethan swallowed. Even now that she had returned to normal, she was still someone to be frightened of. "I'll stay and make sure that everything is all right."

"You do that." She turned her back on him. "If not, I'll snap your neck and let Spike slowly drain you of all your blood. How does that sound." Tara's eyes were huge. Until Willow gave her a little wink. A look of relief rushed over the blonde. Willow pulled her into a hug and whispered into her ear. "I don't know how bad guys are so bad. It's making my tummy rumbly."

Tara whispered back. "Need to go back to your house? Midnight is still a couple hours away."

"No." Willow pulled out of the very pleasing hug. "I want to be here when it happens. But I don't want to wait here. Let's go to Xander's car."

She and Tara sat in the back. Spike was doing a mini patrol around the school. Xander and Anya were sitting on the bench that Willow had sat on while she waited for Oz that night she broke up with him. It wasn't long before Willow had drifted off to sleep. The trip from England and all the spells had gotten to her.

She could see Buffy, clear as day. Giles was lying at her feet, unconscious. The slayer was battling several demons at one time. And she was barely holding her own. All the demons were attacking at once. The blonde was doing her best to hold them off. But one handed fighting was a distinct disadvantage.

That's when on demon grabbed Buffy and held her in its arms. Another demon got a hold of Giles. The two were being held, looking like they were on display. Buffy still kicked and tried to get free. But it was no use. The demons had them and there was nothing that Willow's best friend could do about it.

She felt this power building up inside of her. She tried hard to control it, but it just zapped out of her. Willow watched in horror as she sent this huge fireball at Buffy and her former watcher. Willow couldn't hold back the screams.

AN Thanks for your continued reviewing, Charmed Lassie. Of both of my stories. Not sure if anyone else is reading this one. Oh, well. I'm still having ideas and you are reading so I'll continue. I won't stop until the ideas run out.


	32. 32

The screams kept coming as Willow watched in horror. It appeared that her best friend and her mentor were literally burning alive from the fireball that she sent at them. There was nothing she could do anymore. The two were dead. She had killed them. It was all her fault.

That's when she felt a gentle shaking. A sweet familiar voice was saying her name. The voice was worried. "Willow! Sweetie, wake up!" Willow was still watching her friends burn. She felt gentle kisses on her forehead.

Her eyes popped open and she gasped. She fell into Tara's arms and began crying. She was crying so hard that she was having trouble breathing. "I-I..." She gasped again for breath. "I-I" Her eyes were wide with the sight that she had just took in. "I killed Buffy and Giles."

Xander, who had run to the car along with Anya when he had heard the screams, looked at his friend. "What are you talking about, Will?"

"I-I did it. I killed my friends." The tears were flowing so fast and hard she couldn't see anything. Her body was shaking hard from the thought of the horrible thing that she had just done. "Oh, God! Oh. God!"

"Willow, Sweetie." Tara swallowed hard. It wasn't often that Willow broke down like this. At least not with her. The Blonde had known the red head when she was at her strongest. When she was so sure of herself. This was something she'd only seen when Willow had lost control of her powers. Or at the thought that she could be the one to destroy the world. "It was just a dream. You dreamed it all." She gently kissed Willow on the neck and held her even tighter as she was still shaking and sobbing uncontrollably.

Willow just held on to her girlfriend for dear life. If she hadn't had Tara there, she didn't know what she would have done. The woman seemed to known just what to say and do. And she loved her more than anyone else in the world.

Xander pointed to his watch. It was nearly midnight. The time that Ethan had told them that Buffy and Giles would return if they were still alive. Speaking of Ethan. "Damn it!" Tara gave Xander a look. Like this is not the time. "Ethan's gone."

Tara sighed. That was the least of her worries at the moment. Her everything was on the verge of a breakdown because she had dreamed that she had lost control again. And this time she had cost two people she loved their lives. She wanted to forget about Ethan, even though she knew he could be very dangerous himself.

Spike finally came around the side of the old building. He was running in fact. He came up next to the car and saw the state that Willow was in. "Bloody hell! What happened here?"

Tara shot Spike a look and he immediately backed off. It wasn't often that you got Tara mad. But when you did, you best be backing off. And she was mad. Mad that Willow thought she could ever harm her friends. Mad that Willow was having to go through this. And mad that it was a reminder of what was now only a few short months away. Too soon in fact.

Finally, Willow began to calm down. "Are you sure it was all a dream? I mean, it just felt so real." Tears still slowly fell down her cheeks.

Tara kissed each tear away before answering. "I'm sure. You fell asleep. You are more than exhausted. And it's so late. You're mind just let your fears come out, that's all. When midnight comes, you'll see. Buffy and Giles will be back."

"Uh," Xander got a scared look on his face. "I hate to say this, but it's past midnight."

Willow was again about ready to cry. The look of fear on her face was unmistakable. She looked up into Tara's beautiful blue eyes. "I told you. It was real." She swallowed hard. "I thought that maybe I had control over my powers. And I think what happen was I was so afraid that something had happened to Buffy and Giles that I kinda astral projected myself to the dimension they are in. And I lost it. I got so upset at seeing the demons attacking Buffy. And Giles was unconscious. I just lost it." Now tears did start falling again. "I so don't deserve the powers that I have. Not if it's going to cost me my friends, damn it!"

That's when a bright light flashed from the sky. Two figures fell hard to the ground. Spike and Xander were the two that reacted first. Both ran over to see what had happened. What they found was a real relief to Xander. Buffy was very bloody, but she was still breathing. And Giles had his fair share of scrapes and bruises. But both appeared more or less all right.

Buffy's eyes fluttered open. She instinctively attacked Spike. Spike let her knock him to the ground. He didn't even fight back. And it wasn't because of the chip. Although, that did play it's part. There were other reasons as well.

"Buffy!" Xander shouted at her as he still knelt next to Giles. "He's on our side. For now anyways."

Buffy turned and looked at Xander. Her eyes were wide. She had a wild look about her like she was an animal on the prowl. But the minute she really took in Xander, she smiled. "Sorry. My slayer side really took over. And if that fireball hadn't come out of no where, we surely would have been toast ourselves."

Willow sat up quickly. She and Tara made their way over to where everyone else was now standing. "What do you mean, there was a fireball?"

Buffy shrugged. "Well, just when it looked like I was a total goner, this fireball flew out of nowhere. It was the strangest thing. I could feel the heat, but it didn't do a thing to me or to Giles. But it made crispy critters out of the demons that I was fighting. That fireball saved my life."

Willow collapsed to the ground. Tara was by her side in an instant. "I-I didn't kill them." She looked into Tara's blue eyes again and saw the love and understanding in them. "I saved them?"

Tara smiled at her and took her into a hug. "I guess I was wrong. I guess you did astral project yourself. But you didn't hurt them. You were probably just too out of it from the dimension hopping. You probably only saw the fireball hit them and thought you saw them burn up. You saved them, Sweetie. You used your control and you saved them."

Willow smiled big. She couldn't believe it. All that time in England had been well spent. She hadn't been sure if she had really learned anything. She felt she had, but she couldn't be sure. But to have had to use that knowledge and have it come out with her friends safe made her heart swell. And it wasn't with pride. It was with relief. She now may be able to help again with the fight against evil, if she was really careful.

"What exactly is going on?" Buffy looked at Willow who was still on the ground with Tara. "If I'm understanding any of this, it sounds like Will saved us. Unknowingly, but you did save us, didn't you?"

Willow shyly nodded her head. "I fell asleep thinking about you. I was sure that you wouldn't last. Ethan told us it wasn't a good place he sent you. But there was no way to bring you back. We had to wait for midnight. I guess my mind did what I wanted it to. Only not knowing. I was the one that sent the fireball. Only, I thought that I killed you and Giles as well. My mind was a little hazy. As Tara said, it must have been because I astral projected myself. Only part of me was actually there. So I got kinda confused. God, I thought I killed you Buffy!"

Buffy quickly made her way over to her best friend. "Thanks to you, I'm alive." She looked at her self. "I would hug you but I'm kinda icky at the moment."

Willow quickly stood up. "Since when has that stopped us." She pulled Buffy into a big hug. That's when they heard a groan.

"He's coming to." Xander watched as Giles tried to sit up. "Careful, G-man. You've been knocked out again. Probably gonna have one of those concussions you are so good at getting."

"I rather think you are right." Giles held his hand with his head. "And I've asked you not to call me that." He looked up to see a bloody Buffy and a teary eyed Willow. "Is everything all right?" He got his worried tone.

"Just peachy." Buffy looked at her self again. "Although there is definitely no saving any of these clothes. Mom's magic wash is just not gonna do the trick this time." Her eyes went big. "Oh! Mom! She must be worried sick. And where's Riley?"

"Somewhere still off looking for you." Xander shrugged. "He said he just couldn't sit around. He had to try and find you. Still not sure where the big guys is."

"First, I gotta get home." Buffy looked at Giles. "You gonna be able to get home all right?"

"With a little assistance, I should be able to manage quite nicely." Giles was now sitting up.

"I'll help get him home." Spike stepped forward. "You just see to it that your mom is all right."

Buffy eyed him for a moment. He had been helping on patrol all summer long. And he had been really nice to her all that time. She couldn't help but wonder what the vampire was really up to. "Thanks." She watched Xander and Anya help Spike get Giles into Xander's car. They slowly sped into the night. "What about you two? Are you two gonna be all right?"

"Just need a couple good nights sleep and I should be fine." Willow smiled at her friend. "You don't want to know how much it hurt when I thought I had accidentally killed you."

"I'm just glad you didn't." She smiled at Willow and gave her another quick hug. "Shall we meet at Giles' tomorrow? Not too early. None of us needs that."

"Sure. Tell your mom hi for us." Willow smiled as Buffy took off so fast. "The only thing I wonder in all of this is where has Riley gotten to?"

Riley stood in an empty cave. There were telltale signs that somebody not too long ago had been using it. But it wasn't an ordinary person that had been using it. There was computer things lying all around the cave.

Riley knew who it had been. It had been Adam. But Adam was gone. Unfortunately Adam was long gone. Riley made his way through the cave. He walked to what looked like a master control unit. There were several monitors and other things.

He flipped a switch and all the monitors came on. He pressed several buttons. There was now a picture of a bloodied Buffy running towards her house on Rovello Drive. He smiled as he watched her run.

A familiar voice came out from behind him. "Sorry that our plans didn't work out." Ethan stepped out from the shadows.

Riley shrugged. "It's only a matter of time before my plan succeeds. I just wish I hadn't had to destroy Maggie's great creation. But he was out of control. And everything needs to be under my control."

Ethan watched as he pushed a few more buttons. The monitor was showing Giles being carried into his flat by Xander and Spike. Another few buttons pushed and there were the images of Willow and Tara on the way to Willow's house. More buttons were pushed and he was watching Buffy walk into her house.

"It will all only be a matter of time before I control every thing in this town." He turned to Ethan. "I don't want to have to worry about loose ends." He took several threatening steps towards the old sorcerer. "I can get very creative when I'm upset so I suggest that you keep me happy. Does that sound like a plan to you?" Ethan simply nodded. "Excellent. And I know that you underestimated the red head. I trust that it won't happen again in the future."

"I now know what the girl is capable of, I assure you." Ethan swallowed. Suddenly this wasn't sounding like such a good arrangement.

"Your very life depends on it." Riley turned back to the monitors. Buffy was now in her living room. And Riley was watching her every move.

AN Thanks again, Charmed Lassie. You've become one of my faithful reviewers. And I appreciate it. I know there is one other person reading this story consistently. Unfortunately, PhoenixJay27 has more willpower than I ever will. She gave Buffy up for lent. I'm looking forward to having you both back. As you both know, reviews are what keep us going. And you two have been the kindest to me. I love you guys.


	33. 33

AN Nice little twist, huh? Well, I'm not sure exactly what's going to happen. I'm kinda working a little at a time. We'll all have to see where it's going. Oh, and suggestions anyone. I'm glad to have them.

Willow was so loving just lying in Tara's arms. After what had happened the night before, she felt she deserved this alone time with her girlfriend. She had done it. She had finally been able to control herself. Even though there was one thing that did have her worried. And that was that she did it subconsciously. And that meant she still had a lot of things to learn.

Willow could tell by the tenseness of her girlfriend's body that there was something wrong. Perhaps she was dreaming. But what was she dreaming that would make her this tense? A little moan escaped Tara. And there was one thing she said. 'I'm so sorry Willow.'

_ Tara was in her old dorm room. The one that she and Willow had practically been living in before school had ended and they had left for England. The room that they had first made love in. It was that special to her. It was full of a lot of good memories of her and Willow. She regretted the fact that she and Willow would be living somewhere else. But they could build special memories there as well. Anywhere would be special as long as the two of them were always together._

_ She walked over to where a tiny mirror had been placed. It was after she and Willow had gotten together. There had been no need for a mirror before. She hadn't felt beautiful. She hadn't felt like anything special. Willow made her feel like the most special person in the world._

_ Tara felt familiar arms wrap around her. A familiar head was leaning against her shoulder. The embrace felt so wonderful. She closed her eyes to savor every second. It was like they had always been together. It was like they would always be together. For the first time in her young life, Tara felt truly happy. And she had the red head to thank for it. The love that the red head felt for her bathed her in beauty. It bathed her in a shining light. She was actually somebody when her everything was around._

_ That's when she opened her eyes again. There was something staring at her. It was so hideous looking. She couldn't believe her eyes. The skin was an orange and scaly looking. It was simply disgusting to look at. The eyes were red as a fire engine. And the teeth were that of a cobra. A snakelike tongue even darted out of the mouth. It looked like it was tasting the air. And what it tasted was oh so sweet._

_ That's when the embrace went limp around her waist. The head quickly moved away. She turned to see a look she never thought she'd see on Willow's face. It was a cross between out and out fear and disgust. The red head kept slowly walking back away from her. Finally, Tara looked down at her own hands. That's when she saw. She saw what was making her girl look at her like she was a monster. She was a monster._

_ Willow finally stopped backing up. "Tara? Is that really you? Oh, Goddess. What happened?"_

_ Tara swallowed hard. She felt the tongue do it's little dance. Again, she could taste the sweetness of the girl so close to her. The one that meant everything to her. What was happening? Was this the curse that her father had told her about? Her mother never looked like this. What was going on?_

_ "Tara?" Willow finally took a tentative step towards her girlfriend. The sight that had so revolted her at first was now worrying her. In fact, her face was now more concerned than anything else. "It is you?" She had a half smile. "I know it's you. And you know what?" She took a big step towards her formerly human looking girlfriend. "I still love you. We can deal with this. I dealt with a werewolf after all."_

_ Something seemed to snap inside of Tara. It was like this switch was thrown and she was now angrier than she had ever felt. Was it this new way she was? Or was it the mention of Willow's ex. She smiled an evil smile. She knew in an instant what it was. And she was angry. How dare Willow even think of mentioning anything to do with Oz. He had no place in her life. He never again would have a place in her life. Only she had a place in her life. In an instant, Tara was springing._

_ She sprang onto Willow. Her clawlike hands were tearing and there was blood everywhere. And Tara kept clawing. She could feel the blood. She could taste it. It was the sweetest thing she had ever tasted. It was the taste of her sweet innocent girl. And that made it that more juicy._

_ More juicy? Tara stopped suddenly. She looked down at what was left of Willow. She couldn't even recognize the girl. There was no reminders of the sweet girl that had loved her. Loved her despite the fact that there was demon inside of her._

_ Tears started flowing. She stood up quickly. She wanted to shout. She wanted to scream. But she couldn't seem to find her voice. Her gaze couldn't leave the sight of what was left of her girlfriend. She had killed her. And there was nothing she could do to bring her back._

_ Finally, she collapsed to the floor. She began sobbing uncontrollably. There was so much pain. Pain that she, her demon self, had caused. And there was no taking it back. Finally, she found her voice again. She practically whispered four tiny words. Words that didn't even begin to cover how she felt. "I'm so sorry Willow." Tears kept flowing. Shaking from the revulsion and the hatred for herself, she shouted the phrase again._

Her eyes fluttered open to find the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. Willow was smiling at the blonde. One of her big Willow smiles. There was so much love there. What had happened? She looked around the room and realized it had all been a dream. But what kind of a dream had it been. Was it just a dream of her fears? Or could it have been a dream of things to come. Or at the very least, a dream of what could come.

Tears began forming in the corner of the blonde's eyes. She couldn't even fathom what she had done. What her demon side had done. She had extinguished the light. The power. The one thing that meant everything to her. The most beautiful, woman inside and out, in the world. It made her sick to her stomach at just the simple thought of it.

"Tara." Willow whispered. She didn't know what the girl had dreamed of. But what she had said, coupled with the tears, and she could only assume that it had something to do with her. But what? "Baby, what's wrong. Why are you sorry?"

More tears fell. "Willow." She breathed a little. She needed time to compose herself. What she had done was beyond her belief. She'd actually seen herself kill the woman that she loved more than her own life. Although killing wasn't the exact word. It was like she had slaughtered her and enjoyed every second of it. She swallowed hard. Her throat felt so dry all of a sudden. "I dreamed I kill..." She started to choke on the word. "Killed you." She barely managed to finish.

Her voice was so quiet that Willow had trouble hearing what she had said. She couldn't have said what she thought she had, could she? That would be impossible. She had to make sure. "What do you mean, killed me?" She asked softly. She didn't want to press her girlfriend. The pain was too much already for the other girl to handle.

Sighing deeply, Tara managed to keep going. "I-I suddenly was a demon. A-and you were there. I-I don't know what came over me. Y-you mentioned d-dealing with Oz being a werewolf. I-I really just l-lost it."

Willow's eyes widened. This was a dream about Tara becoming a demon. And when she had become a demon, she had killed her. That seemed all too familiar. Like the dream that she had about losing control. Her stomach grew sick as she remembered how the first person she had killed in her dream was Tara. She knew how the blonde was feeling. And it hurt her just as much.

"Baby, you haven't done anything." She gently place a hand on her cheek. "We will deal if and when things come to you being a demon. I know how you feel." Tara looked at her, a little bit of disbelief in her eyes. "Remember my dream? The one that said I was going to destroy the world if I didn't learn control. Well, the first person I killed was you." Tara's eyes widened. "So I sorta do know how you feel. Not exactly, 'cause it's different for you. And I was able to stop my dream from coming true. We can work this all out. I promise. We will be able to work it all out. I won't lose you. You mean too much to me, baby."

Tara still had tears falling down her cheeks. But she was feeling a little better. "Goddess, Willow, what if I do kill you? I wouldn't be able to live with myself. We have got to figure out what is going on. Am I really going to become a demon? And if I do, will I really kill you?"

Willow kissed Tara on the lips. It was the only reassurance she could give her. She simply wasn't sure what was going to happen. And she wasn't sure if they really could deal with what was going to come.

And Willow and Tara didn't know the half of what is yet to come. Still in those caverns, Riley sat watching all the monitors. One of them was tuned into Willow's room in her old house where the two girls were now. Both her parents were out of town and the two girls had yet to move into their new apartment off campus. And that suited Riley just fine. He hadn't had a chance to set up the cameras in their new apartment.

He also listened as well as watched. He could hear every word that was said. And he couldn't help but smiling to himself. Tara and Willow had no way of knowing. Neither of them had any way of knowing. He was controlling their lives. He had implanted the dream in Tara's mind.

It was all part of the master plan he had going. Thanks to a little tip from a certain Mr. Maclay. The old fool had thought that Riley and his army buddies could help his little girl. Even after all the bad things that the man had done to his little girl over the years, he had still tried to help her so that she wouldn't become the demon everyone knew that she would someday become. The demon she really was going to become. And that was just funny to Riley.

Because he and the initiative had wanted Tara. They knew that she was more than just a powerful witch from the moment that they had come across her. She held such power. And it did in fact come from her demon side.

But her demon side was harmless. Harmless unless properly manipulated. And he was the perfect one to do the manipulating. After all, he had been Professor Walsh's TA for how long? He had to learn something from the good doctor, now didn't he?

He laughed to himself as he listened to Willow try and comfort her girlfriend. There was no getting around her destiny. She was going to become a demon. But she was going to become not the demon of her dreams. In fact, her outer appearance would hardly change at all.

But she would be able to transform. And in that new form, she would be even more powerful than the slayer. If he could learn to control Tara, he could use her to take out Buffy. He himself had tried with Adam. But the girl was simply more powerful than any slayer had ever been in history.

He should know. He had been programmed with every single slayer that had ever existed. Before Professor Walsh died, she had spoon fed him all the information he would need to take over the world. And he wanted to take over not only the human world, but also the demon world. And to do that, he needed to strike fear into every demon that surrounded him.

Riley smiled to himself as he watched the two lovers comforting one another. They had no idea what was in store for them. He walked over to where bars formed a cell along a deep cave opening. Lying on the floor unconscious was his double. The one that had been the first to contact the slayer.

But it was him now that was in control. Professor Walsh had not only built the ultimate human/demon hybrid, she had also built the perfect robot. After all, the good late doctor was a brilliant woman. And she had to cover all her bases. But it seemed that both of her creations had some minor if not major flaws in them. Both wanted world domination. And Adam was gone. But Riley was not.

The lookalike stirred. He slowly opened his eyes. Those eyes widened when they took in what they saw. A double that looked exactly like him. "What the hell are you?"

Riley smiled at his human counterpart. "I'm the end of the world as you and everyone knows it."


	34. 34

AN Sorry if the dream sequence was a little much. I wanted it to be really hard for Tara. There will be a big payoff, I promise. Please keep reading.

The scooby gang was now all gathered in Giles' apartment. Even Spike was among the group. They were gathered for two reasons. One, Ethan was again in town and playing havoc with their lives. Two, Willow and Tara knew that they had to tell the others about Tara's dream. If she really did become a demon, only their friends would be able to help.

"You say that Ethan just disappeared on you?" Giles asked for the millionth time.

"We were kinda distracted, Giles." Xander shook his head. "I mean, you guys were who knows where. And Willow did her thing but it sounded like she had lost it."

"It felt like I had lost it." Willow smiled sadly. "But I did manage to keep it together."

"And you brought us back, safe and sound." Buffy smiled at her bestest friend. But the smile faded. She could sense that there was something that her friend was not telling her.

Willow caught the look. She smiled. They would have to spring the news and soon. The consequences were getting too high for them to even think about doing things on their own anymore. And she hated to think of Tara in danger. Maybe there was still a way that they could stop her girl from changing. Or, maybe it was already too late. Maybe she had been selfish and made the wrong choice. Maybe she should have come to the gang sooner.

"Willow?" Giles's voice managed to finally penetrate her thoughts. "Willow, are you all right?"

The red head snapped her attention back to the now. Everyone was now staring at her, including Tara. "Sorry. There's something that you guys need to know." She turned to Tara. Tara smiled her shy smile. "There's something that Tara and I need your help with. It feels like a scooby gang thing."

"What is it, Will?" Buffy stood up quickly. She had been sitting on the couch next to Riley. "You know we're here for you no matter what's going on. Ethan can wait. At least, for a little bit, he can."

The witch swallowed hard. She felt guilty for having to share what she had to with the rest. It was supposed to be just between her and Tara. But they were in way over their heads. "Tara has a secret." The blonde's face blushed a deep red as everyone began to stare at her. "She told me. We tried to figure things out for ourselves, but last night, things kinda took a turn for the worse. We need your guys' help."

"So you've said, Will." Xander eyed his best friend. "What's the what here."

"On Tara's twentieth birthday, she is going to turn into the demon side of her." Willow said it so fast that the gang almost did not understand what she had said. "Her birthday is two weeks from tomorrow."

"Oh wow!" Buffy looked at Tara with sympathy. "That's really harsh. I'm sorry."

"Do you know exactly what demon?" Giles asked. "It would help in our researching efforts."

"I-I'm not sure." All this attention, and the reason for the attention was making the blonde very nervous. "My family didn't go into detail. They just said that I would turn into a demon."

"Well, that's not very helpful." Giles stared at Tara for a moment. "You have no idea at all?"

"Well," Willow looked at Tara. "I hate to ask you to relive what you went through, but we need the description. And you told me about it, but it's not the same as seeing it."

Tara nodded. She took a deep breath before she started. "Last night, I had a dream. I dreamed I turned into the demon. I-I did something I would rather not talk about."

"Of course." Giles nodded. "I'm sure that it was painful. But just a physical description would be quite helpful." He smiled, trying gently to encourage the girl to continue.

This time she swallowed before continuing. The nightmare images of her not just killing Willow, but enjoying it, were way too much. "The skin was scaly, and an orangish color. The face was kinda snakelike. There was a cobra's tongue. And I-I had claws. It also seemed that I was t-taller than I was before. The eyes." She shuddered at she remembered the eyes. "They were so red. Such a bright red. I-I..." She trailed off. The images coming back to her were too much.

Willow, had been sitting on the floor in front of her girl, quickly got up. She pulled her into a protective hug. "It's all right, baby. Just remember, it didn't happen. It hasn't happened. It will not happen. If you could get me under control, I can get you through this. We will do this together. Nothing will break us up. We are meant to be."

Tara pushed Willow away. "How can you say that?" Tears were still running down her cheeks. "You didn't see. You don't know what I'm going to be capable of. I killed you. More than that. I mutilated you. I-I couldn't even recognize you. Goddess, how can you stand being with me." Tara bolted out the front door.

"Guys, please research." Willow turned to go after her. "I have to go after her. Please find out for me."

Before anyone could answer her, Willow was out the door. Buffy turned to Giles. He had a look on his face. A look that she knew all too well. "You know what kind of a demon she's going to become, don't you?"

Giles nodded. "I'm afraid so." He slowly made his way to his books. He opened it to reveal a picture of the demon that Tara had just described. "If this is the demon, I'm afraid..." He trailed off. He did not want to say what he had to.

"What is it, G-man?" Xander eyed Giles. "I get the funny feeling this could be one of those times that Willow will have to sacrifice her happiness to save the world kinda deals."

Buffy turned to look at Xander. He smiled sadly at her. Could it be like it had been for her and Angel? Would Willow have to sacrifice the one thing that she loved more than anything in the world? By the looks on Giles' face, the answer was yes.

"This demon is a killer." Giles swallowed. "It is a predator. There is no reasoning. And it is not uncommon for humans to become this demon. But usually it's because of a spell or because it is handed down from generation to generation." He eyed Buffy carefully. "You may very well have to kill Tara."

Willow found Tara sitting in their shared apartment. She half smiled to herself. If Tara had really wanted to get away from her, why had she come to the first place that she knew that Willow would look for her. Because Tara really wanted to be found. And that was a good thing.

Willow did not hesitate for a second. She walked up to Tara and kneeled in front of her. She said the first thing that came to her head. "I almost feel like I'm proposing instead of trying to comfort you."

Tara snapped her head up. A little smile played at the corners of her mouth. But it would not come. There was too much pain. And it was all because of her stupid curse. "You shouldn't have come. You're better off without me."

Willow looked the blonde in the eyes for the longest time. They had been through this with her own control issues just a short time ago. Tara had thought it was also best if they separate back than. "I want you to listen to me. I mean really listen to me. I love you. I love you more than I have ever loved anything before in my life." She took Tara's hands in her own. "I knew my life had changed that day in Michigan. The day that I first met this shy girl. I could tell by just one touch of our hands that we were meant to be. I have to admit, I didn't realize it than. But looking back, that was the moment that I fell in love with you. You are sweet. You are caring. You do things so that everyone else is happy and you forget about your own happiness. You've made me happier than I've ever been. That day, when we met, it was as if I was starting to live for the first time. I had a reason to get up in the morning."

She swallowed hard so that the tears would not start falling. She could tell that they were oh so close to the surface. "When I got your first letter, I felt so special. I felt like it was meant to be. But there was still no way for me to contact you myself. And so I lived in fear. Fear that I would never hear from you again. And there was so much fear. I think I realized that you were now a part of me. I needed you to live like I need oxygen to live. It's as simple as that."

Tara tried to say something, but Willow would not let her. "I'm not going to listen to I could kill you speech. Been there. Done that myself. Remember, I could have easily lost control. And in my dream, you were the first person I killed. Granted, the situation is a little different. But that doesn't mean we can't find a way to work this all out. I will find a way to work this out. I'm not losing you. Ever. Do you hear me? Are you really listening to what I'm saying?"

Tara smiled shyly. Willow stood up. She pulled Tara up from the chair as well. She pulled the blonde into her arms. "This is how every day is going to start and how every day is going to end. You are going to be in my arms. I won't let it be any other way. This is how it is supposed to be."

"But Willow..." Tara felt her girlfriend hold her even tighter. "Willow, we can't just ignore what might happen. There is a real possibility that I could kill you."

"You're not listening." Willow kissed her on the cheek. "It doesn't matter to me. You and me together, that's an always and forever kinda deal. No matter what is happening. We will deal."

Willow pulled her over to their shared bed. She forced Tara to lay down. "You're tired. You need some rest. I'm going to stay right here. I'll be next to you."

"But the dream?" Tara shuddered remembering what she had done and seen. And even the taste.

"That's it." Willow began chanting. It was a spell to help Tara sleep. But what Willow did not realize, it would also protect her while she was sleeping.

_Again, Tara found herself in her old dorm room. The one that had so many pleasant memories. And again, she was standing in front of that tiny mirror. Familiar arms wrapped themselves around her. She swallowed hard. This had been when she had turned the last time. She had become that monster and killed her everything. She felt her body tensing. Usually when Willow held her, she relaxed._

_ The red head must have sensed something was wrong. "Tara, baby? Are you all right?"_

_ Tara closed her eyes. She prayed to whatever goddess would listen. Please do not let her turn into a demon. Please do not let her kill her everything. Going through that once was more than enough for one lifetime._

_ "Tara?" Again, there was the sweetest voice she had ever known. The one that loved her so much that she would stand by her even though she was some kind of hideous monster. She so did not deserve the girl's love. "Baby?"_

_ She felt Willow try to move to stand in front of her. "Don't." It was a simple word. "I don't want you to see."_

_ She heard Willow gasp. But she also heard Willow laughing. That sweet laugh that she loved so much. How could her everything be laughing at a time like this? When she was looking the way she was and changing the way she was. "Tara. Sweetie. Open your eyes. You won't believe what you see. You were beautiful before, but my goddess, just look at you now." The giggles from Willow continued._

_ Still facing the mirror, Tara slowly opened her eyes. Instead of a scaly orange demon with hideous red eyes looking back at her, there was this almost elf like creature staring back at her. Her blonde hair had turned the color of the yellow sun. Her skin was as pale as the moon above. Her blue eyes were now an even deeper shade of blue. Her nose had grown a little with a little crook. Even her ears had grown into little points. But she was not hideous. Instead, she was beautiful. And, for the first time in her life, she felt really beautiful. Of course, Willow being by her side was what truly made her beautiful._

_ "Willow?" She looked confused. "Is it really me?"_

She woke with a start. She found Willow staring at her. "What did you dream about? You asked me if it was really you?"

"I wasn't hideous." Tara smiled, little tears of joy were in the corners of her eyes. "I was beautiful."

"I could have told you that." Willow kissed her gently. "I've always known that you are beautiful."

Tara's eyes suddenly got really sad. "Which dream is real? What is going to really happen to me?"


	35. 35

Riley watched the monitors carefully. He had one of his minions setup the camera in Willow and Tara's new apartment while they were at the scooby meeting. And what he was seeing and hearing were things that he did not like.

His double, the real Riley Finn, watched him carefully. The real Riley was trying to figure out what this evil double of his was up to. And he was trying to figure out a way of escape.

"Damn!" Riley kept looking at the monitors. "They are more powerful than I realized. I had wanted to use them, especially the blonde with all those powers she's about to come into, but I think they are more of a threat to me now. I'm going to have to do something about that."

"What's the matter?" The real Riley asked. "Your evil plans not going exactly how you envisioned them?" There was a note of satisfaction in his voice.

Evil Riley turned quickly. "How dare you even speak to me. The only reason you yet live is because I just may need some information from you. I suggest that silence be your way of survival." He turned back to the monitors.

"Whatever." The real Riley kept watching his double. The mannerism were uncanny. But there were a couple that were different. He just hoped that Buffy would be able to see through him and come to the rescue.

Ethan walked in at that moment. "The witches are too powerful. I can sense them from here. Are we going to do something about those two?"

Riley turned from the monitors. "Yes, I believe it is time that we do rid ourselves of them. They have become a nuisance. Have one of the vampires attack them tonight. They will be going back to Giles' place. They still want answers. I don't want them telling the others about this new dream. It would be not good. Not good at all."

Willow held Tara tightly in her arms. The blonde witch was still visibly shaken by the past few days events. Not that she blamed her. There were now two distinct possibilities. One, Tara could turn into a demon that would eviscerate her without even thinking about it. Or, she would become this wonderful creature.

Suddenly, Willow had an idea. One that she was not sure if she liked or not. It would mean using more power than she had in a while. Well, besides the whole she saved Buffy and Giles without even thinking about it, spell.

She felt Tara sigh heavily. She could feel the pain and anguish that her girlfriend was in. It was something she really did not like feeling. Especially when she had the power to make all of it go away. Or, at the very least, some of it.

Willow gently kissed her girl on the cheek. "Tara, baby. I think I may be able to get some of the answers that we need. At least, I think I know how we can tell which dream is true. But it would require a lot of power. And the two of us working as one."

Tara sat straight up. She had a little bit of a worried look on her face. "I don't want you doing anything that might push you over the edge. We can deal with this, without magicks. I would rather not push you."

"I didn't say it would." Willow smiled at her. "But I didn't have to. You already knew." She sighed as she took Tara's hand in her own. "Listen. I know that you're scared. I'm scared too. We have two different possibilities now. One of the very good. One, well." She swallowed. "I know myself. That time that we spent in England is becoming so important. I've learned about the control. I'm hoping that you can trust me enough to believe me when I say that I can do this. With your help."

Tara smiled. "I do trust you. I trust you with my very life. If you say that you can handle it, than we should try. I can't stand not knowing what's going on."

"Thanks." Willow kissed her gently on the lips.

"For what?" Tara and Willow hovered inches away. They were waiting for another opportunity to kiss.

"For believing in me." Willow smiled. "I love you more than anything. And your belief in me is what gives me strength. It's what gives me my power. It's what gives me my control." Again, their lips were touching. Gently at first. Soon, it became more intense. Finally breathing a little heavily, Willow pulled back. "If we don't stop now, I'm not gonna be able to stop. And I want to know what's going on."

Tara nodded in agreement. She still could not help but wonder how she was so lucky. Willow had come into her life when she needed somebody the most. Their love for one another saved her. But for how long? Some things love just cannot save.

It was not long before the two were facing each other inside a protective circle. Candles were lit all around the room. It made Tara flash back to that night. The night that Willow had surprised her. Xander had setup the candles for her. They had just come from telling Willow's parents about their relationship. They had yet to be together. They had come close so many times. But evil kept rearing its ugly head. But they had taken the time that night.

Tara remember the soft kisses of Willow all over her body. She could feel her body next to her own. All those feelings came flooding back into her mind. She could remember the smell of the red head and the taste of her sweet kisses. That was the happiest night of her life. The night that she had gotten to show her everything how much she really loved her.

"Tara?" Willow tried to get her girlfriend's attention. She had the dreamiest look on her face. Willow closed her eyes. She let herself feel what Tara was. Now she knew why she was having trouble getting the blonde's attention. And soon, she became wrapped up in that night as well.

Before long, the spell had been forgotten. Both women knew that it was extremely important. But there was something else that was also important. The two of them together was so much more important. Feeling. Needing. Loving. Those were the things that the two so desperately needed. And they willingly gave to one another.

It was a few hours later. The candles had long ago burnt themselves out. Willow had her arms around Tara. And Tara had her head on her lover's chest.

"Guess we got kinda distracted, now didn't we?" Willow held her girlfriend even tighter. "I'm not complaining. It's been a while since we.."

"Really showed each other how much we love one another?" Tara smiled sweetly. "Things keep getting in the way."

"I say we change that." Willow kissed her girlfriend on the top of the head. "I say, no matter what is going one, we make time for one another. And I don't mean the us just being together time. I mean, the we get to make love 'cause that's what we really want and need and that's why we should take the time to show each other as often as we can."

Tara did not want to ruin the mood. But she had to say it. "We better treat each day like it is our last?"

Willow stiffened a little at the words. But she knew Tara was right. Not just because of the uncertainty of what kind of demon Tara was going to turn into. But just the everyday bad stuff that happens. And when you are best friends with the slayer, those things tend to get magnified.

The red head sighed. It was a sigh of contentment. "I think that's the only way to live. After all, look at how good I'm feeling right now. And all because we let ourselves remember. Remember the thing that made us happy. There will never be another first time for us. Not like that. But we can make every time just as special."

That is when the nasty old phone rang yet again. Very unwillingly, Willow got out of bed and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Will." Buffy sounded really distracted. "I know that things are kinda happening right now. I mean, you and Tara are dealing with something major. But do you have a minute for an old friend?"

"What's going on, Buffy?" Willow turned and smiled at Tara. She knew that their alone time was definitely over now. "Of course I have time for you. I'll always have time for you."

"Well," Buffy hesitated. "It's Riley. He's seemed so different lately. And he's disappeared again. I've tried all the numbers he gave me. I just don't know what's going on with him."

"It's all right." Willow got a sad look on her face. "Do you want to come here? The apartment's plenty big enough that the two of us can talk alone. Or we can meet somewhere."

"Why don't we meet at the Espresso Pump." Buffy sighed. "You and Tara can both come. I just want to be out right now. And I need somebody to talk to. And you are my best friend. And Tara is becoming like one. So, please. In an hour."

"You got it Buffy. See you in an hour." Willow hung up the phone and turned to Tara. "Well, looks like we get to do the best friend thing. Buffy and Riley are having some problems. I'm not sure exactly what. We'll have to go and see."

Tara sat up in bed. "Me?" She looked up into those green eyes. "Buffy wants me to go too?"

Willow smiled. "You are her friend too. And becoming more so every day. She's the one that asked to make sure that you came along. Buffy knows a special person when she sees one. So do I."

Tara smiled shyly at her. The two quickly got dressed again and ready to go. The sun had just set. Willow put the usual holy water and stakes in her pocket. She did have the usual magicks at her disposal. But she did not want to have to use them unless she really had to.

They were still on the outskirts of town when they heard this growl coming from behind them. Both women turned at the same time. "Why did I know that we would have company?" Willow took Tara's hand in her own.

"Sorry to ruin your evening, ladies." A vampire that looked like he had just risen stepped into the little bit of moonlight. He looked like he had just risen because of the dirt still on his face. And Willow could recognize funeral clothes when she saw them. She had seen them too often.

"A newbie?" Willow asked. "When did you rise? Two seconds ago? Am I supposed to be scared of you?"

"Well, I am a vampire." There was another growl. The vamp started for the girls. Willow reached into her pocket and held the bottle of holy water in her hand at the ready to throw.

"Well, so am I." Spike yelled as he tackled the vampire to the ground. "But I've been around a bit longer than you have." The two vampires eyed each other for a moment. "You out for a stroll? Or did somebody send you."

"Do you really think I'm going to tell you anything? I know the consequences." The newbie stared at Spike. The two witches took several steps back to watch the fight unfold.

"That tells me that you bloody well are working for someone." Spike moved so fast that the other vampire had no time to react. He grabbed the vamp's arm and pulled it behind its back. "Now, be a good little vampire and I won't break every bone in your body. Who sent you? And was it after the girls?"

The vampire nodded. "Yeah. I was sent after the two." Spike eased up a little. "But I'm not going to tell you by who. You guys will just dust me. What this guy is capable." The newbie visibly shuddered at the thought.

"Girls. Could you oblige in helping me persuade mister not talkative into talking." Spike motioned to the holy water. "I'd ever be so grateful." Willow tossed him her bottle. "Now, I know what this does to a vampire. Remember, I am one. Which means I know all the little things that cause a vampire pain. Do we really want to have to go over this again?" Spike pulled the cork out with his teeth. When the vampire still refused to talk, he began pouring it into the vampires right eye.

There was burning and smoking, but the vampire kept his mouth quiet. "I'm not talking. You might as well stake me here and now."

"Very well." Spike plunged a stake into the vamp's heart through his back. He turned quickly towards the two witches. "Where the bloody hell have you two been. Buffy and the others have been trying to call you all day long."

"But Buffy just called us. She asked us to meet her at the Espresso Pump." She looked at Tara. "Or did she?"

AN I wasn't going to update this so soon. I really don't have a lot of time. Working too much. But I didn't want to leave you hanging. But it looks like I am again. That just means I'll have to try and update soon for you.


	36. 36

Everyone sat around staring at one another. Willow had gotten on the computer the minute that they had gotten back to Giles' apartment but had had no luck in finding out where the phone call had come from. Spike had made sure that the two witches had gotten there safely. He had insisted that he stay by their side. Buffy eyed him a little suspiciously. Spike never did anything for himself. Granted, he had helped out with the slaying all summer. But why was he still around. What was the vampire planning. And what was up with Willow and Tara saying that she was worried about Riley. She had not been. Not until they told her what they were supposedly told by her.

"We found out who this demon is that Tara may turn into." Giles finally broke the awkward silence. Why it was so awkward was a mystery to him. But the younger people seemed to be off in their own little worlds.

"Oh!" Willow sounded excited. "We, uh, kinda forgot to tell you guys something. In all the confusion of whether Buffy called or not." She smiled sheepishly. "I kinda did a spell to let Tara sleep. She was just too upset to sleep on her own. Well, she had another dream. Only this time she dreamed that she was a good demon. A hot looking one from the way she described herself."

Tara blushed considerably at Willow's words. Everyone else seemed to move past the awkward silence and into uncomfortable silence. "That just makes things that much more confusing." Buffy looked at her best friend. "I mean, we are almost certain that Tara is going to become a demon, right?"

Spike took a couple steps forward. He had been keeping out of the way out in the kitchen while everyone else was gathered in Giles' small living room. "There is one way to test that theory."

Everyone looked at him with puzzled looks. Giles was the first to nod his head in understanding. "Of course." Everyone turned to look at the former watcher. "The chip!"

Riley was the first to react. "How do we know the chip is still functioning? I wasn't really privy to the information on the testing and implants that the hostiles received. When The Initiative disbanded, we were not let in on any of the military secrets. Are we sure that he can be trusted?"

"I could kick your ass around a little." Spike stood straighter. "If the bloody chip weren't still doing its bloody thing." He smiled big at the tall blonde. "Maybe I will anyways. I've been looking to kick some ass, have a little fun."

Riley took several steps at the vampire before Buffy stood in his way. "Listen, we need to be working together on this. Tara may very well turn into a demon. What kind? I'd like to know." She turned to Giles. "But you want to know what I would like to know even more?"

"Who it was that sent that vampire after Willow and Tara." Giles nodded vigorously in agreement. "That would seem to be as big a problem as the fact that we do not know which demon Tara is going to become."

"Or if she is a demon." Not even Buffy could react as Spike walked up quickly to Tara. He punched her in the nose. He put his hand to his head in anticipation of the pain. Instead of him howling, it was only Tara that indeed howled in pain. "She is bloody well a demon. No pain."

"Why don't you try that with me?" Riley asked. He began hovering close to the vampire. "Or are you afraid that would reveal that you are just faking this. So that you will feel like you are needed or something." Riley shook his head. "You can't trust a vampire. Especially this vampire. Chip or no chip."

Buffy eyed Riley for a moment. She had known him now for almost a year. And she thought she knew him pretty well. After all, he had been the only other person she had been intimate with besides Angel. He had to be a good guy for her to let him touch her that way. But he was sounding different than the guy that she had fallen in love with. What if there was something to the warning thing that Tara and Willow had received.

She watched as Willow comforted her hurt lover. "Would you two stop it! We have more important things to do than show your displays of testosterone." She made a threatening motion towards her boyfriend and the vampire. "Or do you want to have to deal with me? That can so be arranged."

Both men looked at each other before going to neutral corners. Neither wanted to deal with an upset slayer. Willow looked up at her friend gratefully. But she could not help but wonder about the look that she saw. If the witch did not know any better, she would have sworn that Buffy had feelings for the vampire. And that was just ridiculous, now wasn't it?

"I hate to ask, Will, but can you get back on the net?" Buffy motioned to the computer. "Can you give the phone company records another shot. We have so got to find out who wanted you and Tara so badly."

"There may be another way." Buffy looked at her friend. "It would involve a pretty powerful spell." Willow looked at her girlfriend, whose nose was getting just a little puffy looking. She wanted so bad to kiss and make it better. But serious things were happening. "We were going to when we got, uh, kinda distracted. But I think the spell will reveal what we need to know. I will have to be careful. It is very powerful."

"If you think you are up to it." Buffy sighed heavily. She hated asking her friend to do something that just might be too much for her. Willow and Xander and the others had already put their lives on the line way too many times already. And there were those that had died in the battle. And here was yet another time that Willow was going all out for her and the fight against evil. She did not know what she would do without her friends.

Tara suddenly shot Willow a look. One that meant that she needed to talk alone. Without anyone else being able to hear what the two of them were saying. The red head was not sure what was going on in the blonde's mind. But she knew that it must be really important. "Giles, can we use your bedroom for a minute?"

"This is no time for sex, Will." Xander smiled his smile.

Everyone shot him daggers. "Is there something the matter?" Giles asked, breaking the again uncomfortable silence created by Xander's outburst.

"No. We just need to go over some things before we do the spell." Willow smiled her smile.

Although still somewhat skeptical, Giles nodded. "Very well. But please do not take too long."

Everyone watched the pair climb the stairs. Buffy watched her boyfriend and Spike keep giving each other these looks. She could not understand what was going on with the two of them. Not that any of them had been friends with Spike, but this was ridiculous. It was as if the two were jealous of each other. As if they both had something to prove. That is when she realized something. They both were fighting over her! And she was liking it. Liking it more than she should.

Upstairs in Giles' bedroom, Willow was holding Tara. Tara had immediately fell into her girlfriend's arms the minute that they were alone together. Willow knew that something big was happening if Tara was this upset. Or maybe it was still the deal with Spike. After all, now they knew for sure that there was some kind of demon inside of her. Until that moment, they had not been sure. After all, dreams are just dreams, right?

"What is it, baby?" Willow held her even tighter. "Are you upset because of what Spike proved, 'cause you know that it doesn't mean a thing to me. Broken record here in saying that I'm going to love you forever. There is nothing going to make me leave you. I was hoping that you would have learned that by now."

Tara slowly pulled out of the tight embrace. Her blue eyes found Willow's green ones. She stared deep into them for several minutes. "It's not you. I now know one thing for sure in my life. And that's that the two of us are meant to be. We will always be. There is no separating two hearts that beat as one."

Willow smiled big. "Poetic and so true." She kissed the blonde on the forehead. "So if you know that I'm not going anywhere, that I'm yours and you're mine, what's going on in that pretty head of yours? Is it busy, busy like mine always is?"

Tara sighed heavily. "Something is not right with Riley. He was acting a little different, but there's something else."

"What is it, sweetie?" Willow knew that Tara could read people. She could read their auras. "Is something going on that you can tell?"

"Not exactly." Tara again sighed. It was not always easy describing what she did see to others. After all, her mother was the only other one that believed in the same things that she had. Her mother had even taught her a little. "It's like his aura is being forced where it doesn't belong. It's like grating. I'm not sure if I'm describing this right or not."

"Could it be like it's not really his aura? That someone is forcing their own where it doesn't belong?" Willow was hoping that she was understanding what her lover was saying.

"Exactly!" Tara nodded. "Or maybe someone else is borrowing another person's aura."

The two witches stared at each other for a few minutes. They were trying to let it sink in what they had just realized. It could be one of two things. Riley could still be Riley, only someone else was trying to control him. Or, it was not Riley they were dealing with. A lookalike or something that was stealing the real Riley's identity. Either way, it was not sounding good. Especially for Buffy.

"This is big. This is so beyond big. This is huge." Willow took Tara's hand. "Could Riley be our enemy? Could he be the one that is the big bad?"

Tara shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. But we better get back downstairs. I don't want to leave whoever that is alone with the others for too long. What if he's the one that sent that vampire after us?"

Willow looked at Tara. She was right. In a scarey and not so good way. If this person is not really Riley, the rest of the gang could be in such serious danger. But how could the two of them even think about protecting the others from a threat they were themselves unsure of.

Everyone looked up quickly as the pair made their way down the stairs. "That took a lot longer than a minute, Will." Xander's voice had a little bit of accusation to it.

"Xander." Anya looked at her boyfriend. "Be serious. They couldn't have had sex. Their hair is not even messed up."

Buffy quickly came up to her friend. Trying to ignore Anya's comment as best she could, she smiled at her best friend. "Are you guys ready to do the spell?"

Both Willow and Tara looked at Riley for a reaction. For whatever reason, he was busy watching Spike. It could be because he did not trust the vampire. Or, it could be because he was trying to make everyone think that Spike was behind all of this.

"It's gonna take a little more ingredients than we got." Willow sighed. "And the magic store is closed now. We'll have to wait until morning, I'm afraid." She came up to Buffy very close and began whispering in her ear. "We're gonna return to our apartment. I want you to follow us. Don't let anyone know that you are going to. Not even Riley. We've got a theory that you might just not like."

Buffy eyed her friend for a moment. The red head was right, Buffy was not liking what she had implied. That Riley had something to do with all of this was beyond ridiculous. Or was it? It would not be the first time that one of her boyfriends went all evilly on her. And she trusted her best friend more than anyone else in the world.

"We're gonna go back to the apartment." Willow looked around at the others. "Most of our supplies are there. We'll gather what we have and get what we need before we meet here in the morning."

There was a consensus among the group that that was the best course of action. It was not long before Willow and Tara were walking alone, hand in hand. The two were trying to act very normal. But it was hard. They suspected their best friend's boyfriend of doing something he either did or did not know about that was all evilly like. And that was not the greatest feeling.

Willow was a little disappointed when they got back to the apartment, safe and sound. Disappointed in the sense that no one had tried anything. It was kinda blowing their plan up. That is when she heard a noise behind her. Both of the women turned to see what they had unfortunately expected. Riley stood before them. What they had not expected was that Spike was holding him by the collar.

"I found Nancy boy here trailing you two." Spike shook Riley rather hard. "Says he was just trying to protect you two." The vampire gave him another shake. That is when a revolver clanged to the concrete sidewalk. Spike picked it up just as Buffy was emerging from the bushes.

"Spike!" Buffy rushed over to where the four stood. "What are you doing?"

Spike cocked the gun. "Proving that this bloody gint is not who he says he is." Spike aimed the gun at Riley's forehead. He slowly squeezed the trigger.

AN Yes, I know. Another good cliffhanger. I will update soon! I promise. And for any that might be wondering, yes this is now into the fifth season. And unless somebody wants to see her, I will not be writing in Dawn. I don't know if I'll write in Glory. Haven't thought that far ahead yet. But let me know if you want to see anything. Always willing to try to please my readers. Thanks for reading. I appreciate it a lot.


	37. 37

Spike howled in pain even before he could pull the trigger all of the way. The gun fell to the concrete sidewalk with a clang again. Willow managed to snap out of her shock and pick up the gun. She held it nervously in her right hand and held Tara's hand tightly with her left.

"Bloody hell!" Spike stared at Riley. "You're human!"

"Of course he's human." Buffy came and stood between Spike and her boyfriend. "What exactly were you expecting? A robot? A demon? Come on, Spike. What the hell are you doing?"

Spike kept his hand on his temple where there was still a lot of pain throbbing in his head. "When we were at Giles' I couldn't smell the bloke. I was biding my time, trying to prove it since I knew you wankers wouldn't believe me. But he's now bloody human. What the hell gives?"

"Spike, if this is somehow a way to try and get in good with us, it's not gonna work." Buffy took a step towards the vampire. "In fact, it's just pissing me off more and more."

"Buffy." The slayer turned, surprised by Willow's tone. "We think that Spike is right."

"Say what!" Buffy eyed her friend. Riley stood looking dazed and confused at what was going on.

"Tara sensed that Riley wasn't exactly him when we were all back at Giles'." She looked at Tara who nodded. "But now, he seems to be back to his old self. That's why we said what we said. You know, about following us. We were sure that Riley would try something. And he sorta did. Until Spike stopped him."

"What was with the gun, Nancy boy." Spike was finally fully recovered from his little shock of pain. "You aren't going to be killing a whole hell of a lot of vampires with that. Or demons, for that matter. This thing works best on humans."

Riley shook his head. He knew that he should say something. But he could not. It was as if he were being restrained somehow. He did not even know what was going on. Finally, he was able to speak. "Listen, the last thing I remember was being really worried when Giles and Buffy disappeared. I went looking for them. Something happened. But I'm not sure what."

"It's just conveniently escaped your mind." Spike started to laugh as he pulled a cigarette out of his pocket. "That sounds like a bloody story to me."

"If you'd shut up, maybe we could get to the truth." Buffy glared at the vampire who blew smoke into her face. She turned her attention back to Riley. "You don't remember anything else? Like someone hitting you from behind? Nothing?"

"I'm sorry, Buffy. But my mind is really fuzzy." He shook his head as if to clear it. "I want to remember but there just is something not letting me remember."

Willow and Tara both closed their eyes for a moment. At the same instant they flashed back open. Willow looked at Riley. "You've had a spell performed on you. Both Tara and I can sense it. I've felt those kinds of magicks before. I just can't quite remember where or when." She turned to the blonde witch. "You sensing anything else?"

Tara shook her head. "It's someone powerful. But other than the familiar feeling, I can't quite place it. I think that we may be getting blocked as well."

Buffy shook her head. "This is getting confusing. But if I can gather things right, Riley is under some sort of spell. Earlier, he wasn't Riley but possibly a lookalike. And now, the two of you are getting blocked magickally." Buffy looked like her head was going to explode.

"That pretty much sums it up." Willow smiled sheepishly. "And with us being blocked right now, that spell that we were going to try in the morning is pretty useless. I mean, we can try, but if we're still being blocked, there is no real point in it, now is there."

Buffy sighed heavily. "I'm going to take Riley home. Maybe some sleep will get him less confused." She turned to Spike. "Since you really don't have anything better to do, care to watch over these two until morning? They are powerful witches, but if they are being blocked..."

"They are as helpless as a kitten up a tree." Spike nodded. "I've got their back, slayer. You just worry about Nancy boy there. After all, it seems that whoever is out there is also after him as well as these two. We've just got to connect the dots, sorta speak."

The slayer could not help but eye the vampire suspiciously. She was still getting this really weird vibe off from him. What did he really expect out of all of this. She had to wonder. "I do wish we knew. But that would make life just a little bit simpler now wouldn't it."

"We'll try and see if we can either tell who's blocking us, or, see if we can get ourselves unblocked." Willow looked at Tara. "But it might take a while for either scenario so don't be holding your breath."

Buffy nodded, grateful that her friends were still willing to do what they could to help out. "Whatever you guys can do will help. We still meet in the morning. I'll call Giles when I get home and let him know what little more we know."

Willow waved goodbye at her friend. The two witches left Spike alone on their doorstep. After a few minutes, Willow peaked out the curtain beside the door. Spike still stood, alert as ever. She could not help but wonder why a guy that had so short a time ago wanted to kill her and her girlfriend would now watch over the two of them so intently. It just seemed strange to her.

Riley (the evil one) stood in the caves watching the monitors. He also could not help but wonder what the vampire was up to. He had originally wanted to offer the vampire the chance at having his chip removed. But the vampire now seemed to be getting in too close with the slayer and her friends.

It was not a good thing. That is when Ethan walked in. He was sweating quite profusely. And he looked like he had not slept in weeks. The man was looking quite haggard to say the least.

"I take it the blocking spell is still in place?" Riley looked at the sorcerer carefully. He got the feeling that the little man could not be fully trusted.

"I'm doing my best." Ethan sounded as tired as he looked. "But those two witches are too damn powerful! We have got to get rid of them. Otherwise, I may not be able to hold up my end of the bargain."

Riley took a couple steps towards the cowardly man. "I don't like to hear that kind of talk. I expect those that are working for me will deliver. And you need to deliver." Riley again took a dangerous step towards the little man. "I've yet again changed my mind. Those two witches have even more power than I realized. Or more power than they realize. I want to utilize it. You see, I want there to be a merging of the races. It was mother's dream. And I plan to pickup where my brother failed so miserably. Of course, if he hadn't been so stupid and killed her, mother would still be alive to assist me."

Ethan did not like what he was hearing. Using magicks to combine humans and demons. That was even more than the chaos that he had originally signed on for. He had only wanted to get back at Ripper and all of his little friends. Now it was becoming more dangerous. And more complicated. "I won't be able to hold them off. Not forever."

Riley smiled. "I know that you alone can't. That's why I'm going to get you some help. There is someone that has power but the lack of knowledge of how to use it. And I believe that after we help her out, she will come to our way of thinking and help us with our little problem."

Willow watched as Amy the rat seemed to happily spin around her little wheel. The red head kept the cage spotless. It was the least that she could do. After all, it had been nearly two years since Amy had changed herself into a rat. And she and Tara had yet to be able to find a way to derat her. It made her sad.

"Sweetie?" The voice brought her back into the now. Tara sat on their bed. It was closing in on three in the morning. All their attempts to do any spell had come up empty. Willow had even tried doing a simple locator spell she had learned in England. It had said that all of her friends no longer existed. Damn blocking spell. "Are you all right?"

Willow smiled at the blonde. "As right as I can be knowing that I could possibly get answers but that somebody is blocking us and therefore there is no way of getting the answers." She shook her head. "Magick can sometimes be just a little frustrating. I hate that part of it."

"I understand." Tara patted the edge of the bed. Willow quicky made her way next to her girlfriend. She gladly leaned her head on the blonde's shoulder. "Magick is both a gift and a curse. We've both learned that over the years."

Willow sighed. "I know. It's gotten me and the others in trouble on more than one occasion. But it's also gotten us out of jams on more than one occasion. I just wish I could access any amount of my powers. It would make me feel better."

Tara kissed her on top of the head. "You know, there are others out there that can help. We aren't the only ones that save the world every day. Buffy has done a lot the past few years."

The red head laughed. "I know. Just getting used to the magicks and what they can or cannot help with." She sat up and looked into her girlfriend's blue eyes. "Maybe I'm getting a little to used to it. I had been so worried about the control thing. Especially hurting you. And than we went to England and it appeared that I had my powers under control. But than, there was that spell that I didn't know I was doing spell. Yeah, it worked in the way that I saved Buffy and Giles. But what if there comes another time when I do a spell without realizing it. It might just not have the yay consequences that this one did. Maybe I should lay off the magicks. After we defeat whatever this magickally powerful bad guy is."

Tara nodded. She was proud of her girlfriend. It was not that she felt that Willow was over using magicks, it just could become so easy for someone to get overloaded without even realizing it. It took a strong person to realize that. And an even stronger person to follow through with it. "You are so smart and wise and good." Tara leaned close to her girlfriend's lips. "I love you."

Willow smiled. Their kiss was interrupted by a pounding on the door. "Bloody run for it girls! There's too many of them. Oh, bloody hell!" Spike's voice was full of pain. That is when the door exploded open. The girls ran from the bedroom to see what was going on.

Standing in the doorway were three big demons. They had curved horns. They were bigger than the doorway. They broke the frame from the doorway as they made their way in. The three simply looked past the two witches and around the apartment.

Willow and Tara joined hands. Both started chanting. There was a little bit of a light forming around them. But as fast as it formed, it blinked out of existence. Both were still being blocked. And that was so not good.

The first demon went towards the girls. They tried to move, but were not fast enough. He shoved them into the wall, knocking both of them unconscious.

The light was streaming down now. Spike was pressed against the invisible barrier as he tried to get away from the sun. "Ladies!" He shouted for the fifth time.

Willow looked up, her vision blurry. "Spike?" She looked around the room. No other damage seemed to have been done. "What's going on?"

"Invite me in, please!" Spike was starting to smoke. "Or I'll be just ashes instead of a bloody bruise."

Willow took in his appearance. "Come in, Spike!" The vampire staggered in and fell to the floor. "Tara!" Tara's eyes slowly fluttered open. "You all right?" The blonde nodded weakly. "I wonder what they were after." Willow made her way to the bedroom. She found Amy's cage missing. "Uh-oh!"


	38. 38

Willow and Tara had managed to get Spike over to Giles' even with the sunlight playing the normal try to burn a vampire alive thing. The two were very grateful, even if he had not been able to stop the demons from coming in. Spike was one giant bruise at the moment. In the back of her mind, Willow still could not help but wonder if Spike was really changing or if the chip was the only reason that he was helping them out so much.

Xander kept a very watchful eye on the vampire, even though all he did was sit in the chair with his eyes closed. He really did not trust the vampire. He did not care what the others were thinking. Spike simply could not be trusted.

Buffy sat next to Riley. There seemed to be this new distance between the two of them. Buffy could not seem to bring herself to trust him. Not that it was his fault that someone has been using him to infiltrate her ranks. But if it had been for as long as he said, than the imposter and she had made love. And she did not even know that it was not him. What did that say about their relationship.

The only two that seemed even mildly happy were Willow and Tara. Although both were worried about the fact that another powerful witch, granted was still stuck in rat form, was out of their and into the hands of the bad guys.

Willow shuddered at the memory. She, Buffy, and Amy were all tied to the stake. The fire was getting so hot, she could hardly stand it. That is when Amy did her thing. At the time, it was the most amazing thing that she had ever seen. One minute, a normal girl. The next, she was a rat. The power that took was amazing. She was not even sure that she had that much power.

After all, she and Tara had been trying, when they were not busy fighting evil, to turn Amy back. And that had been for how long? And with both their combined knowledge and power. And now some bad guy had their hands on the witch.

"This does make things that much more imperative." Giles was busy looking in one of his books. "If whomever is able to turn Amy back to her human self and able to convince her to work for them, they will have a very powerful ally indeed."

"Giles, have you been able to figure anything out?" Buffy stood and began pacing. Partly because she was getting frustrated with the lack of being able to kill things. Partly because she could feel herself drifting further away from her boyfriend. Another one was about to bite the dust. "What on earth could have so much power or control or whatever. I mean, it's like this thing knows what we're going to do before we do it. And to be able to make it sound like I'm talking to my friends?"

"Well," Willow swallowed as everyone turned to look at her. "I could probably do it. If I had the right equipment. It's really rather easy. And as far as blocking the phone lines, again, rather simple."

"Simple for those that have half a brain like you, Will." Xander smiled as she blushed. "The rest of us are kinda, well, not of the smarts when it comes to the computers."

"True." Willow nodded. Her eyes grew bigger. "I think I just thought of something. Something of the not so good. What if there was something left over from The Initiative. I mean, look at Adam and how high tech, at least part of him, was. And you know that Professor Walsh was big on the computer stuff. At least according to Riley she was."

He nodded. "It does make sense." He looked a Buffy. He was trying to concentrate on the latest evil. But he could not help but wonder if they even stood a chance anymore. She had been distant the night before, grilling him relentlessly about what he remembered or did not remember. It had gotten frustrating to say the least. "And we only have the government's word that they went in and cleaned up. Who knows how they really left it. And Adam used other places besides The Initiative."

"I know some bloody caves." Spike coughed as he tried to talk. "Maybe they could be where whoever is hiding out. But I don't fancy meeting up with anyone for a day or two." He looked directly at Buffy. "Your arm isn't quite healed. And I'm not of much use at the moment. You're not sure how much you can trust your boyfriend. And the two powerful ones are being blocked somehow. I think your best bet is to lay low for a few days."

Buffy looked at Spike. She absently put her hand on her cast. The doctors had said it would be four more weeks. She knew with her slayer healing that meant about two. But that was two more long weeks that she was not going to be at one hundred percent. And the vampire was right. Willow and Tara just could not seem to get past whatever it was that was blocking them. Her eyes found Riley staring at her. And the vampire was right about him as well. Hell, she had not been sure if she could trust him ever since she found out about him being in The Initiative.

She had to look away from her boyfriend. But why did her gaze meet with Spike's. Why did she seem to be drawn more and more to the vampire. He was a soulless killer. Yeah, chip. But it was not that he did not want to hurt people. It was that he could not hurt people, wasn't it.

After the long silence, Giles was the first to speak. "I'm afraid that Spike is right. As much as we can ill afford to have Amy in the wrong hands, we cannot afford to try anything in the weakened state that we are in. If Spike or Buffy were alone at one hundred percent, perhaps. But not with both of them being hindered at the moment."

"But I'm a trained fighter." Riley stood up and came behind Buffy. "I know that I can handle myself."

Buffy turned to look at him. "Without all of the fancy equipment that The Initiative provided you? I mean, you are stronger than most humans. But you are used to using those tasors and tracking equipment. We don't have any of those. It's just my fighting and primitive weaponry that get us through."

Riley looked a little miffed, but he did not say anything more. He knew at that moment that there could be nothing between him and the slayer. As much as he had hoped that the two of them could possibly build a relationship, it was not meant to be. He would have to take Graham up on his offer of joining with the special forces as soon as this latest threat was truly over.

Buffy turned towards Spike. "How long do you think it will be before you return to fighting strength?"

"If you supply me with enough blood," Everyone's face turned all ewwy on him. "What? Vampire. Need it to heal, live. Be better if it were human." He looked at Buffy. "Only for the healing qualities. Human blood helps vampires heal faster. Wasn't thinking about the taste or anything." Well, that sound bloody good, now didn't it.

Buffy rolled her eyes. But for some reason, his words actually made her feel better. What was going on. Big evil brewing and she seemed to be having wrong lusty feelings towards, Spike? Ewww!!! Or was it.

Willow watched the whole exchange between Riley, Buffy, and Spike. She knew in her heart what was going on. In a way, she could not believe that her friend would actually choose Spike over Riley. But she long ago learned that love was something that you really did not have any control over. After all, she had fallen for a werewolf. And now, she was so deeply and madly in love with a fellow witch who was going to turn into a demon in a couple of weeks. Life was bizarre. It just seemed that she and her friends life had gotten even more bizarre the past couple years. But they were still friends.

"Well." Giles broke the uncomfortable silence. "I do believe that there is not much that we can do at the moment." He turned to Buffy. "I do suggest that you keep doing your routine patrols. However, I suggest that you do not do them alone. Either Xander or Riley could accompany you until Spike has returned to one hundred percent." He turned to the two witches. "And you two young ladies need to be extra careful. Even though whomever has their hands on Amy, they may not be able to return her to human form. They may very well come after the two of you again. And if you are still being blocked, that leads to the two of you being a little defenseless at the moment."

"We can stay at home." Willow liked the idea of alone time with Tara. "Only go out for our classes and stuff. And we can, since we're pretty much trapped inside, work on breaking through this blocking spell. Maybe if we are able to work on it long enough, we'll be able to break through. It's worth a shot, anyways."

"I agree." Giles looked at his group of young people. He had always been proud of them. They had put themselves in danger more times than he could count. But they seemed to continue to sacrifice everything even though most people would have long ago given up the fight.

With that, everyone went their separate ways. Willow and Tara looked around their smashed up apartment. Xander was going to come over later. He had become quite the carpenter ever since his construction job had become a permanent job. It was going to be handy to have someone that could fix things. With their lives, things often needed fixing.

The two witches went about cleaning up what they could. There were some things that they would have to wait for Xander to show up before they could take care of them.

"I don't think we're gonna get our deposit back." Willow smiled at her girlfriend. The red head had not asked how Tara had come up with the money. She had asked her parents to help and they had actually agreed.

"Doesn't look so good." They finished with what little they could. That is when there was a noise from outside. Both instantly went on the alert, even though it was now daytime and no vampires. Still, lots of demons that could walk in the nice susshiny California sun.

An older man appeared outside the door. He was thin and gruff looking. Tara's eyes widened as she instantly recognized the figure standing in the doorway. "Dad?"

Little Amy the rat spun the wheel faster and faster. She squealed when evil Riley even thought about looking at her. "And they say animals can't judge humans." Ethan walked in. Sweat was still pouring down his entire body. "So, you got the witch rat. A lot of good that will do you. Someone is going to need to turn her human again."

Riley looked over at Ethan. "Yes, they are." He smiled big. Ethan began shaking his head. "Oh, I believe you will, little man. I have the spell. It was, for some reason, in with mother's belongings. I don't think she knew what it is really for. But that's a lucky break for us. I just need an experienced witch to perform it."

Ethan shook his head. "Do you realize the power that calls for? And I've kinda been at my limit doing the blocking spell. And I might add been able to keep it running night and day so far. I don't think..."

Riley lunged for Ethan and wrapped a very strong hand around his throat. "I don't think I asked you to think. I think that I'm the one in control. I'm the one calling the shots. And that means that you will do as I say."

Ethan coughed and sputtered when Riley finally let him go. "I will, but I'm almost burned out. How the bloody hell am I going to perform a spell that requires that much power when I have none left myself?"

"You'll find a way." Riley grinned at the cowardly little man. "Or I'll find someone else that can. And believe me when I say you won't like the retirement plan I have in mind. So do think about it. And don't try my patience again." He turned his back on Ethan.

Ethan limped out of the cave and back to his little cave where he was trying to keep the spell going to keep the two witches blocked. If he did not get help soon, he would die. An idea flashed in his head. One that could get him killed. Well, he was probably dead anyways, so why not.

AN Two questions were asked. One, how can I update so often? It's called lack of life and obsession with writing. Especially anything Buffy related. Two, I think your question was answered in this chapter, Charmed Lassie. And you can kinda draw on the other story of mine you're reading for an answer. Thanks for reading, everyone and for the reviews. Until next time.


	39. 39

Willow quickly stood closer to her girlfriend. She could tell that the girl was instantly afraid and uncomfortable. This man who she called father was doing this to her. And the redhead did not like it one bit.

"D-Dad?" Tara repeated the solitary word that she had managed since he had arrived. Her head bowed in the way that was familiar to Willow. The way that she once did around all of her friends. It was like the blond was ashamed of who she is.

"Tara." A little smile came across the man's face. He slowly entered, keeping his gaze on his little girl. "We've been so worried about you. You do realize what is going to happen in just a couple weeks. And we are the only ones that can help you."

Tara straightened. "I-I don't t-think so." Her face grew red at the strain it seemed to take to stand up to her father. "I-I have f-friends that can help me."

Mr. Maclay turned his attention towards the redhead. "I know about you. I know that you two think you are in love. Don't you realize how wrong the two of you are? Her family is the only one that really cares for her. No one else."

Willow took Tara's hand in her own. "That's where you are very wrong. I'm so in love with your daughter that it hurts sometimes. But it also brings the biggest joy I've ever felt. No one makes me feel as good as she does. It's like I finally know how to live. And it's all because of your daughter. She makes me complete. And I won't give her up for anything."

"Even if it is to save your own life?" Mr. Maclay took several steps towards the two young women. "You really don't know what you are going to deal with. She hasn't told you, has she?"

"Actually, she has." Willow smiled proudly at her girlfriend. "It took some convincing that I would love her no matter what." Her gaze turned back to Tara's father. "I wonder where she gets the feeling that she is no good. That even if she weren't possibly becoming a horrible demon, that she is horrible herself." She let go of Tara's hand and stepped closer. "I think it's time that you leave. You and your family have hurt my girl enough. I will not let you keep hurting her. You even try to hurt her, ever again, and you'll have to deal with me."

"Am I supposed to be threatened by you?" The thin man took a step towards the redhead. "You have no business telling me what to do. You aren't family. You have no say in Tara's life."

"I am her life." There was a fire to Willow's green eyes. "I'm warning you right now. You had better back off." Suddenly, Willow could feel all of her power flood back into her. It knocked her to the ground. She looked over to see that Tara was also on the floor. A smile curled her lips. The power was exhilarating. "I suggest you leave. Before I lose control."

Mr. Maclay stared at the two girls. "What just happened? Why are you both on the floor? Are you two trying to pull something?"

Willow was the first to make it to her feet. She waved her hand in front of herself. There was this crackling of blue energy. Mr. Maclay took several steps back. "You never believed in the witchcraft stuff. And that very well could be your downfall. I'm again going to suggest that you leave. And you leave right now."

He was gone in two seconds. Willow turned back to Tara who had been quiet through all of the exchange. The redhead quickly made her way over to the blonde. "Willow? Do you feel it?"

"Yeah, I feel it." She had a sad look on her face. "It may not last long. There is something we are supposed to be hearing. But the sound is so weak." The redhead took the blond's hands in her own. Both closed their eyes and concentrated. "Ethan!"

Spike sat on the couch in Giles' apartment sipping a cup of warm pig's blood. He would so love to have human blood. The vampire eyed Buffy who was sitting next to Riley. Slayer blood would be the best for healing. But he was not about to ask her to make that kind of sacrifice. She had already done that for Angel. And she loved Angel. The girl hated him. He knew that.

The vampire tried to sit up. The pain was too much and a loud groan escaped from him. It was no use. It would still be a day or two before he could move without pain. And it would be even longer before he was in fighting shape again.

Buffy looked over at him, with a look of concern on her face. He smiled and took another drink of the blood. Usually, she would roll her eyes. This time, she only smiled back at him. And she inched a little further away from Riley.

That brought an even bigger smile on to his face. It was not because of him, he knew that. But still, seeing goldilocks not so comfortable around prince charming was a nice thought. But why?

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He really needed to stay focused. On what? All they knew about the bad guy was that they had either wanted Willow and Tara dead or working for them. And for some reason they had captured Captain America and had put a double in his place. And that they needed a powerful witch for some reason. But why? What exactly was going on. If he knew, he could help Buffy.

And since when did helping Buffy become such a good thing. The two were supposed to be mortal enemies. They were supposed to be fighting until the very end. But he would rather be kissing her and holding her in his arms.

Where did that thought come from? Spike took his gaze away from the blond. She had to be putting him under some kind of spell, right? That had to be the reason he was feeling like this.

A thought occurred to him. There was one thing that could help. It could help both Buffy and himself. If he was gonna be stuck with a chip that acted like a conscience, than why not? He could than have these feelings for her. And they wouldn't be wrong. They would be right.

But the cost was too high. He would have to wait until after the latest showdown with whatever the big bad was and whatever it had in mind for them. It could wait. But it would be torture until the time for the two of them to be together. Spike looked over at the slayer. 'Cause that's really what he wanted. He wanted the two of them to be together.

Buffy noticed that Spike kept looking at him. And she watched as he took a sip of the blood. It didn't even turn her stomach like it usually would. In fact, it was kinda cute. The fact that he was drinking out of a coffee mug that said, 'Kiss the Librarian' on it didn't help matters.

But he seemed different. Like he was genuinely trying to help her and the others. And for once, she felt that he was being honest with her.

She turned towards Riley. That was something she had not felt from him for a long time. She inched away from him. There was definitely a distance between the two of them. One that they would probably never be able to overcome.

Her gaze turned back to the vampire. She definitely was having warm fuzzy feelings towards him. But he did not have a soul. Even though things went badly with Angel, at least he had always had a soul. Spike had a chip. And that wasn't much. But she had to admit to herself that she had these fuzzy feelings. Could she ever act on them? That was so the question.

Evil Riley walked into the little cave that Ethan stayed in while he was trying to keep the blocking spell going. It did not surprise the evil cyborg that Amy still spun around in her little rat wheel.

It seemed that the man was incompetent. It had been a mistake to use the little weasel. But he had been so willing and he had that connection with the slayer and all of her friends. But it was becoming more and more clear that it was a mistake.

As soon as the little man was able to turn Amy back to human form, he would have to take care of the little man. And he would do it in a way so that the little man could not tell. After all, dead men tell no tales.

Ethan was looking more haggard than he had ever in his life. The fact that he kept looking around him, waiting for trouble to come, did not help matters. He knew that as soon as Riley found out about him being gone, he would be toast.

But Riley did not know that he had stopped the barrier. And he did not know that Ethan had sent the two witches a message. He just hoped that they would be able to understand it.

The sorcerer was through with what he and Riley were trying to pull. He had sought revenge and chaos. He had not wanted the whole world to end. After all, what good is doing chaos if there is no one around to be effected by it.

He had to admit that he had gotten in over his head. He should never have tried to pull off such a stunt. What Riley had in mind, well changed the plan into, was just too much for him. He had to try and find a way to stop it.

Willow and Tara now sat at the Espresso Pump. The last time they had been sent there, the two had been nearly killed. If Spike hadn't shown up, the two would have died. But they weren't being blocked magically this time.

In fact, both women felt more power than they had in their lives. It was both intoxicating and disturbing. Especially for Willow. Her control had been tentative at best before. And that was with what power she had. Even though it was strong, it was nothing like she was feeling now.

The two witches kept exchanging worried looks as they sat there waiting. What if this was all a trap again? What if the power was taken away as fast as it came? What would they do than? Buffy was in no real shape to fight. Spike could barely stand.

Willow took Tara's hand in her own. It was the simple act of wanting comfort. The two of them always held each other when they needed to feel all right. Although, a simple look between the two could work just as well. But Willow loved to feel the softness of the blond's skin on her own.

Both women stood quickly when they saw a familiar figure staggering towards them. It had been Ethan that had tried to contact them. And it had been the right place to come. So, the only question left, was this leading to a trap.

Ethan managed to stagger to the table and gingerly sit down. He saw the look on the two witches' faces and smiled. "I'm terribly sorry. I know that this is a terrible inconvenience. But I need your help."

Willow looked at Tara and than back at Ethan. "You need our help? Forgive me if this sounds kinda funny but I don't laugh."

Nodding, Ethan smiled at the two. "I know that I've pulled some nice chaos over the years. But this is different. We're talking the end of the world. And that's something I'm not comfortable with. After all, no world, how can I watch the fun of the chaos I create?"

The redhead turned towards her girlfriend. "He does have a point." She turned back to Ethan. "So you'd be willing to share whatever information it is that you have? Just so we can put a stop to all of this, whatever it is?"

"I would." Ethan leaned heavily against the table. "I'm afraid that you girls are going to have to help me a bit. I seem to be having trouble even sitting up at the moment." They looked at him in surprise. "I assume that you'd be taking me to see Rupert. He's still the big boss."

Willow nodded. "All right. We'll let Giles and the others decide if they think that this is a good idea." She and Tara both stood up. They both put their hands on his arm to help him to his feet. That's when Willow felt this surge. All these images came into her head. People being cut up. Demons being cut up. The parts being mixed and matched along with computer parts. It was like what they had feared that Adam was going to do. It made Willow's face grow really pale. She gasped, there was pain coming with the visions.

"Willow, are you all right?" Tara came to her girlfriend. "What's happening?" Willow's eyes went wide. And she simply collapsed to the ground.

AN Just wanted to thank everyone for still reading. I won't be updating quite as often. I've not got four stories going. I'm going to try and get to them all, time permitting. Too many ideas go around in my head. Sometimes I just have to post a chapter or two. But I'll keep up with them all, I promise. Until next time.


	40. 40

AN Gonna start by saying that in a few weeks, I'm going to start a writing course. That will take away from my fanfics. But no worries. I will still keep them coming. PhoenixJay27, welcome back. And you didn't have to review ever chapter, but a great big thanks to you for doing so. All my reviewers are greatly appreciated and I do try to take in what everyone says. Again, any one wanting to give me ideas just e-mail me at iamstrange1@yahoo.com or just to talk. Always open for suggestions. Well, here's the next chapter. (Oh, and I do love cliffhangers! Sorry. Darn evil streak in me.)

"What's going on?" Willow looked around her. The last thing she remembered was sitting at The Espresso Pump with Tara and Ethan. She could not remember anything else. And her head hurt more than it had ever.

"Hello!" She looked around her. The place looked familiar, but she could not place it, partly because the lighting was so dark. She knew she had been there before. But her mind was not working very well at the moment. That's when she felt the warmness run onto her top lip. And that's when she tasted the coppery taste.

"Blood?" She wiped her nose with her hand. Yup! Her nose was bleeding. And her head hurt. Usually the only time those two things happened was when she did some kind of powerful spell. But she knew she herself had not done any spells. At least, not that she had remembered. And she felt that she was still under some kind of control if she still had her powers.

She sighed heavily. It was times like this that she really wished that she and Tara had finished their rehab in England. She knew in her heart that the two of them, especially her, had so much to learn yet. Maybe she would know what was going on or how to find out if she had finished.

The lights came on full blast, all of a sudden. She had to shield her eyes and let them adjust to the new lighting. When she did, she was surprised. The familiar setting was exactly like when she and Buffy had been there back in junior year. They had been picking out Halloween costumes. "Ethan!" She looked around. There was even the dress that Buffy had ended up wearing. "What am I doing here?"

"You can't figure that out?" A familiar voice she had not heard in a very long time stood before her. Willow looked very surprised at the person standing before her. "What? You don't recognize an old friend?" Amy twirled herself around. "Well, in your defense, I haven't exactly been human for quite some time, now have I?" Her grin became evil. "But, than again, that is your fault, now isn't it?"

"What?" Willow kept her eyes glued to the other witch. Was this all a dream? Or was Amy somehow here? But in Ethan's shop, exactly like it was how many years ago. "What's going on?"

"Thanks to you, I'm back to my wonderful human self." Amy smiled as she twirled around. "So much better than looking like a rat, don't you agree?"

Willow stared at her. She was not sure what to make of all of this. She definitely was dreaming. But she could now sense that she had somehow done a spell. It wasn't her own doing. "Who tapped into my powers?"

Amy smiled. "Ethan could not be trusted. The one knew that. So, he made it so that the sorcerer would help him without his knowledge. And, viola! I'm back and less furry."

The redhead swallowed hard. Amy did not sound like herself. In fact, the other witch sounded almost like her mother did. And her mother had been all evilly and they had to fight her. Well, Buffy had to fight her.

"You don't seem happy to see old friends?" Amy came up and put her arms around Willow. "I thought you'd be happy to see me." She pulled the redhead into a hug. "This is your style now, right? You do go for this sort of thing?"

Willow quickly pushed her away. "Yeah, but only with one girl. I'm a one witch sorta girl. No offense to you." Still, Willow could not take her eyes off from the other witch. "What is going on?"

"You've asked that so many times." Amy laughed. "The big bad is here. And it wants to play with you. I'm just the one that brought him here. It let me play with you a little, first. Now it's its turn. Have fun!"

Willow blinked as Amy simply disappeared. Her surroundings quickly shifted and she felt very disoriented. Her mind could still not entirely grasp what was going on. And her head still hurt. At least her nose had stopped bleeding. That was something.

Looking deep inside of her to refocus her thoughts and her magick... Willow's eyes snapped open. At that moment, she realized that she was no longer being blocked. And that was some very good news if she were now going to face whatever this new big bad was. They still had no clue as to what exactly was going on with anything.

Her surroundings began to clear again. She had only been in the place the one time. When she, Buffy, Xander, and Giles had to join together to defeat Adam. But The Initiative was supposedly closed and cemented under.

Duh! Dream sequence here. Anything could be happening in a dream. Unfortunately. "That's right, anything can happen." A familiar voice made Willow turn. She took a few steps back. "No, you're not seeing things."

"Riley?" Willow laughed nervously. She knew that it was not the real Riley. This was the one that had probably been trying to get information. This was the one that had been there when Tara had sensed that something wasn't right. "What do you want?"

"You've seen what I want." The evil clone smiled big.

Suddenly, those awful images that she had seen came flooding back into her mind. It made her sick to her stomach, well, almost anyways. She knew that she had to stay strong to face whatever this thing is. "But what do you want with me? I know, witchy goodness here. But what do you want, specifically with me?"

"That should be obvious." Riley shook his head. "And you are so bright, Miss Rosenberg. I thought that you would have figured it out a long time ago. I want to finish what mother and brother started but were unable to finish."

Willow's eyes widened a little. That much had been clear. But the him wanting her for her powers was beginning to make a sick sense. This clone guy didn't want to have to fuss with sewing the parts together. He wanted her to just wave her hand and have it all happen without any fuss. "You know I won't do what you want me to."

"Not even if I give you some gentle persuasion?" Riley walked over to a stack of computer monitors. "Look what I can do." He flipped the switch.

Gruesome images slowly popped on to each one of the monitors. All of her friends were being bloodied and tortured in various ways. It was making Willow sick. Her eyes widened at the last monitors display. There was her girl, her everything. Amy was with her. "Get that bitch away from her."

"Now, now." Riley flipped the monitors off. "Language. I'm shocked at you, Miss Rosenberg."

Willow took several threatening steps towards Riley. At least, she hoped that they were in some way threatening. "I won't do what you ask. I won't be a part of an apocalypse and you know it. These images weren't real."

"Not yet, no." Riley turned to her. "And you will be part of an apocalypse someday. If you continue to hold your powers in such tight check."

The redhead eyed the evil demon for a minute. "You're trying to tell me there is such a thing as too much control?"

"Precisely, my dear." Riley now took the threatening steps towards Willow. "Repressing your natural abilities is just as dangerous as letting them run wild. You have to meet a happy medium." Willow looked at him like he was nuts. "Believe me or not." He shrugged. "Now, back to the matter at hand. You still say that your final answer is no?"

"Definitely." Willow stood taller. "I won't be a part of ending the human race. I could never."

"Again, not what could very well happen." He shrugged at her look. "I guess it comes down to a battle. Have fun waiting to die. You will all die. Or become a part of my master race. Be seeing you, little witch."

Willow's eyes opened suddenly. It took several minutes to realize where she was. Giles'! And there were these very familiar arms holding her tightly. "Tara?"

Tara looked down at the redhead, tears still in her eyes. "Are you all right?" She didn't wait for an answer, kissing the girl on the forehead.

That comforting touch brought a little smile to her face. "When I'm in your arms, I'm always all right." She heard a cough and realized that they were not alone. Both the witches faces turned a little red. "Hi, guys."

"Hi guys?" Buffy came and kneeled by the couch. "That's all you have to say for yourself. You went off on your own to meet the rat Ethan? And that's all you have to say for yourself?"

Willow tried to shrug. She found that she was physically drained, just like she would be if she had done a powerful spell. Which turning Amy back to human could classify as powerful. "I think that Ethan helped us in a way." All eyes were on her. "I think he can, not be trusted, but I guess be believed, for now. The baddie used him to set a trap. And I fell for it."

"What happened, sweetie?" There was the sweet, but concerned voice of her girlfriend. She turned and looked up into those blue eyes. She almost got lost in the sea of love that she saw.

"Well, I kinda had one of those dream sequences. But it was all controlled by Riley..." She hadn't meant to say that.

"Riley?" Everyone turned to stare at the ex soldier. Buffy turned back to her friend. "What exactly has he got to do with any of this?"

"Well, it seems that the new baddie is a clone of Riley's." Willow sighed. "Only he is more like Adam, but without the Frankenstein look. Totally human looking."

"Did you find out what exactly he wants?" Giles finally spoke up.

"Well, it seems that he wants what Adam and Professor Walsh wanted." Willow got a sad look on her face.

"You don't mean." Buffy looked wide eyed at her best friend.

"Yup, he wants to turn us all into demon, human hybrids." She shivered at the image. "Only this time he doesn't want the fuss of sewing them all together himself. He wants some powerful magic to do it all for him."

"Oh." That was Buffy's quiet answer.

"There's more." Buffy eyed her friend. "Riley..." She smiled sadly at the real Riley. "Evil guy used me to turn Amy back to human. I knew I had done a spell. Somehow he did it against my will the creep."

"And that's a bad thing?" Xander asked.

"Well, it seems Amy's just a wee bit irritated that it took so long for her to become human again." Willow got a really sad look on her face. "And, well, she kinda sounded like her mom."

"Oh!" This time Buffy stood up. "That doesn't sound so good. That sounds really, really bad in fact."

"That means that Riley will have someone else to keep powering his blocking spell." Ethan finally spoke, although it was still obvious that he was weak. "That could pose a little bit of a problem."

Willow tried to sit up, but found that she was too weak to do so. "He's not wrong about that one." Again, Willow sighed heavily. The only thing keeping her from screaming out of frustration was the warmth and strength she was getting from the arms wrapped so lovingly around her. "I have my powers back. But I don't know for how long."

Tara nodded. "I can feel mine as well." She again leaned down and kissed Willow on the forehead. This was getting to be too much. Especially with her birthday only about a week away. "I wonder how much time we'll have?"

Ethan groaned as he stretched. "If he stays on target, you have a month. I still don't know why, but he said that the moon and stars for the coming of the new one would be in alignment than. I never could figure out what he was talking about."

Giles looked at his group surrounding him. Ethan, he did not trust, was pretty beat up. Xander and Anya were mere humans as Riley and himself. You had a still beaten up Spike and a slayer that had a broken arm. And two witches that might or might not have their powers when it came to fighting this new bad. And now, if one believed Ethan, there was something new coming. "Research?"


	41. 41

AN Time to slow things down a little. Hope you guys don't mind. Been on such a big time pace with another apocalypse. But now the sweet goodness of w/t. My favorites.

Slow steady breathing was coming from next to her. But she knew that the woman next to her was not sleeping. It was nearly midnight, and neither of the two witches were asleep. One was worried about what would happen in a short two days. The other had a surprise for the other.

The redhead kept listening to the breathing. The slow rhythm that seemed totally in tune with her own breathing. It had been like this ever since they had done that joining spell. Ever since the two had merged and become one, they simple were as one.

If she concentrated hard enough, she could hear the blond's heartbeat. Again, it was beating in perfect rhythm with her own. And that was even before the two had done the joining spell. The two were as one. There was only one thing that could possibly break the two of them apart. And Willow would not let herself even think it.

Not being able to resist anymore, she reached out and stroked the cheek of the blond. At first, the witch only smiled at the gentle touch. Finally, she opened her eyes to look into those emerald green eyes that were always so full of love when she looked into them.

"Knew I wasn't sleeping, huh?" Tara smiled brightly at her girlfriend. If truth be told, she had trouble sleeping ever since she had had those two dream sequences. She still wondered which dream was the real one. If either of them was real.

"You really don't sleep anymore." Willow looked at her, a little bit of concern in her eyes. "And I know why." Tara's smile faded. "And I totally understand. If I had hanging over me what you have hanging over me I wouldn't sleep very well, either. I mean, I didn't sleep very well when I was afraid of the control thing which still sometimes gives me little nightmares even though I supposedly have my control but after what evil Riley said I may just not have my control like I think I do and..."

The sweet babbling of the redhead was interrupted by the blond's lips on her own. They held the kiss for serval minutes. Finally, they broke apart, both breathing a little heavier and still in rhythm with one another. "I love ending Willow babble that way."

Willow smiled brightly at her girlfriend. "I love having my babble ended that way." She leaned in for another kiss. When she pulled back, she looked into her lover's eyes. There was still a great deal of fear wrapped up in the love she saw for herself. "I know a lot is going on. Not just demon possibly you, but me, evil Riley, Amy. There is so much going on. But I think we've got to do something that we promised to do for one another a little while ago and I think we've been neglecting."

Tara raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding what her girlfriend was saying. "Not to sound stupid, but what exactly did we agree not to neglect?"

"Well, each other silly." Willow smiled big.

"I thought we already did that earlier." Tara smiled a little bit of an evil smile.

"Well, yes." Willow leaned in and kissed her. "I'm talking about just more than the 'goddess it feels so good that I can't put it into words' thing that we do so well. I'm talking about something else entirely."

Tara shook her head. "You've still got me a little confused. I really like the 'goddess it feels so good that I can't put it into words' thing." She blushed just a little as she said it.

"Well, you know I really do as well." Willow put her hand back on Tara's cheek. "But there is more to you and me and just 'goddess'." She laughed a little at the new nickname she had just given to them making love. "There has always been more to you and me than just that. And I want to show you that."

"You do." Tara reached over and put her hand on Willow's shoulder. "Every day in everything that you do. You show me how much you love me. I can hear it when you only say hello. I can see it in your eyes. There is not one time that I don't feel loved by you."

"Again, I know all of this." Willow couldn't help but laugh. "And I can't help but agree totally. It still doesn't change the fact that I want to show you. Tomorrow. So we best get some sleep. I want you nice and bright for this."

Tara eyed her girlfriend. "No hint? No clue?"

Willow smiled big. "Just know that I love you and I'm really going to show it to you tomorrow."

****

The next day came very quickly for the two lovers. And there was this excitement that Tara could not contain. It was not often that Willow would see her like this. But it would all be worth it. She would do anything for the woman.

It was reminiscent of the times that they shared in England over the summer. The two were in the field behind UC-Sunnydale. The grass was not as long as that back in England, but it seemed just as green. And the warm sun beat down on them, warming their entire bodies.

And brown and red and black plaid blanket was spread with many delightful little goodies to sample. Strawberries with sweet chocolate to dip into. Various kinds of cheeses. Red raspberries that were sweeter than sweet. And there were tiny little sandwiches that Willow had made with care for her girl.

The two ate peacefully, blocking out the knowledge that sometime soon they would probably be fighting yet again to the death. Those thoughts were kept at bay. This was alone time for the two of them. And nothing was going to spoil their fun.

Tara kept eyeing another wicker basket that Willow had not taken anything from. She so desperately wanted to see what was inside of it. But she knew that Willow would show her what was inside when she was ready. She was just too happy enjoying the being alone with her girl and not having to worry about anything.

Willow picked up a very ripe raspberry and smiled at her girl. "Open up!"

Tara quickly obliged and found herself licking Willow's fingers as she put the red fruit in her mouth. "Now, don't start something that we would have to leave to finish." Willow smiled at the blond.

A nice shade of pink was quickly on the blond's face. "I think you are the one that started it. Look at all the trouble that you went through just for me."

"Not just for you." Willow smiled. "Although, this is mostly for you, I admit. But it's really for us. Like I've said before, I've lost too much in my life. I've learned to treasure the things that are so important in my life." She leaned in closer to the witch. "You, my wonderful witch, are the most important thing in my life. You make everything else seem like it doesn't exist. And for that, I will be eternally grateful."

"Wow!" Tara could no longer resist. She closed the gap and let their lips touch. It was one of the most gentlest kisses she and Willow had ever shared. And there was more love than she had ever felt before. It was simply amazing.

"Well, after that, I think it's time." Again, Willow noticed how their breathing was the same. And there hearts were beating faster, and as one. "It's time for your presents."

"Presents?" Tara looked at her funny. "But not my birthday."

"Not yet." Willow smiled at her look. "I really don't think anything bad is going to happen on your birthday tomorrow. But, I wanted to give you a couple special gifts while we were alone. And it looks like we're pretty much alone."

Tara looked around. It surprised her that on a Saturday, there would be no one else in the field. Usually it was where all the lovers came to spend their time on the weekends. "Did you do this somehow?"

"Who, me?" Willow tried to sound innocent as she asked. "I wouldn't do anything like abuse my magicks just so that we would have some alone time, now would I?" Again, there was an innocent tone to her voice.

"Willow." Tara couldn't help but laugh. They really shouldn't be using their magicks for personal gain. But it had been so long since they'd had the magicks, it was probably a good thing that she had used them. "I'm glad you did."

"See, all of the good." Willow sighed contentedly. The blond made her happier than she had ever been in her life. There was simply no one like her in the world.

"So, where are my presents?" Tara sounded all excited. Her excitement quickly faded for a moment. "On a serious note, this is my first birthday since my mom died that I'm actually going to get presents. Or be with someone that I love and that loves me." She turned to Willow with a renewed smile on her face. "It's my best birthday ever."

"And you haven't even opened your presents yet." She laughed a little and picked up the wicker basket that Tara had been eyeing earlier. "Well, here are your presents."

Tara looked her in the eye before taking the basket from her. "Willow, I want to say that I love you no matter what's in here. You know that you didn't have to do anything for me."

Willow held up both hands. "My everything deserves everything good that she gets. So get to it."

Without another moment of hesitation, Tara opened the basket. Inside, there were four nicely wrapped presents. She eyed them carefully before choosing the smallest one first.

The redhead put her hand on Tara's. "Save that one for last. It will be worth the wait."

Tara looked at her funny, but put the package down. She took the next present. After carefully unwrapping it, she gasped. It was a pink healing crystal. One that the two had looked at many times in the magick shop. But neither had the money to buy. "How?" That was all that Tara could say.

Willow shrugged. "How could I not. Now open the rest, but save the smallest for last."

Next, Tara unwrapped an oddly shaped one. When she opened, again she gasped. "You are just too good to me." It was a special container for keeping special ingredients from getting tainted. It had been thrice blessed by the coven in England.

"Thought you might like it." She smiled bigger than ever.

The third present was rectangular in shape. Again, Tara carefully removed the wrapping paper. Inside this antique silver frame was a picture of the two of them together in England. They were sitting having a picnic just like now. "Who took this?"

"I have my friends. They helped me a lot." Willow's breathing picked up a little as she realized that there was only the smallest present left. She noticed that Tara's did as well.

"One last one." Tara carefully reached down and picked up the smallest package again. "So, what's so special about this one?" Willow only smiled shyly at her. Again, careful, Tara soon uncovered a red velvet box. One that would usually contain a ring or some kind of jewelry. "Willow?"

"Open it." The redhead took a deep breath, as did Tara.

The little red box creaked as Tara slowly opened it. Bright blue eyes went even brighter as she saw what the little box contained. "They're beautiful!"

"I was hoping you'd like them." Willow picked out one of the two rings that were identical. Both had a pure white stone with a small blue stone on one side and green stone on the other. "Read it." Willow held it out so that Tara could read the inscription.

"'The ones that where this, forever be their hearts joined'" There were tears in Tara's eyes as she looked up into those emerald green eyes of Willow's. "I want you to put this on. Now."

"You mean?" Willow knew she didn't have to ask. She just had to tease the blond.

"You know I do." Tears fell from both their eyes as Willow slipped one ring onto Tara's left ring finger. Tara returned the favor and put the other ring on Willow's.

"Good birthday?" Willow asked with a smile.

"Best birthday ever." Tara leaned in and kissed her girl.


	42. 42

Tara woke with a start. Willow was not by her side as she usually would be. She looked over at the clock. 12:05 a.m. That made her sit up quickly. It was now after midnight and her birthday. And that meant the change. Panic quickly set in. Since it was officially her twentieth birthday, that would mean she was supposed to be changing or had changed.

Carefully, she drew her hands to her face. Her breathing picked up a great deal as did the beating of her heart. She started with her nose. Her breath left her as her nose felt all normal like. But her ears. Slowly, her hands were touching her ears. Again, all normal. She was shaking by now, wondering if she could actually be normal. But the dreams.

She ended up with her arms across her chest, hugging herself. A thought occurred to her. Was this another dream? What if she were only dreaming that everything was all right. And where was her girlfriend?

A little smile formed on her face, the thought of Willow a distraction. She brought her left hand up to look at. She knew what the ring said. She knew what it meant to both of them. Even though in the eyes of the law they were not, to them and to their friends, she and Willow are now married. The rings are a symbol of their total commitment to one another.

The sound of the clock ticked in her mind bringing her out of her happy thoughts. And into a world of possible terror. It had been at least five minutes since she had awaken. And her partner and soulmate was still unseen. And who knows how long it had been since she had gone wherever she had gone.

Forgetting about the possible demony thing she could turn into, she quickly got out of bed. She noticed that there were no lights on in the rest of the apartment. That really made her fear grow by leaps and bounds.

She focused her mind before setting off any further. She felt the magicks build up inside of her. Grateful to still have the power, she said a silent protection spell and a prayer for protection of her girl.

Suddenly, there was a noise from the living room. Her heart leapt in her chest. There was a whispering sound a short time later. This was coming from the still darkened living room.

Slowly, Tara made her way into the living room. A shadowy figure could be seen sitting on the couch. It was so dark that she could barely make out the form. But a wave of relief rushed over her as she would recognize the redhead anywhere.

"Gotta go." Willow turned on the lamp beside her, making both of them blink until their eyes adjusted. "Hey, sweetie. Did I wake you?"

Tara shook her head. She realized that Willow had been on the phone when she arrived. "Is there trouble? You were in here whispering and talking in the dark. Are you hiding something from me?" Her eyes got a sad look to them.

Willow quickly got up and stood in front of her life partner. She gently placed a hand on her cheek. "I'm not hiding anything from you. Yes, I was talking." She got a little bit of a mischievous look on her face. "All, right. I am hiding something." Tara's eyes widen at the admission. "But it's a good, nonevilly thing that I'm hiding. It's of the good."

Tara eyed the redhead for a moment. "This doesn't have anything to do with my birthday, does it?" And that brought back all those instant fears of her turning all demony again.

Willow saw the look on her face. "You aren't a demon. No part of you is a demon. I think I figured something else. I didn't want to tell you until I was totally sure. But now that it is your birthday.." She leaned in and gave Tara a very passionate kiss. "Happy birthday, by the way." The smile on the blond witch's face was priceless. "To finish about my little theory. I know that Spike did the punching thing and it didn't hurt him. But remember, that was when we had the evil Riley around. Maybe, just maybe, he did something so that Spike's chip wouldn't activate. Trying to make us think that you were a demon. Not sure why he would, but it's hard to say with those evilly types."

It was a lot to take in. Could it possibly be? Could she not have any demon inside of her? She would not put it past her family to make up such stories about her. Anything to make her feel bad and to make her want to makeup for it all.

A huge smile played at the blond witch's face. "I think you're right. I don't think this is a dream." She eyed the redhead for a moment. "But what about the other thing? What exactly are you hiding from me?"

"It's of the good." Willow wrapped her arms around her. "You'll love this, I promise."

"Willow, you already did so much for me." Tara pulled back slightly from the hug. "You do too much for me. I don't deserve any of this."

Willow could not help but laugh. "You deserve the moon and the stars and anything your heart desires. And I'll give you anything you want."

"Anything?" Tara asked with a little bit of an evil grin. Willow raised one eyebrow. "I have all that I want. I have you."

*****

It was now noon on a Sunday afternoon. The afternoon of Tara's birthday and she had yet to show any of the signs of being a demon. And that was a very welcome thing for both her and Willow.

They were walking towards The Bronze, holding hands. "Why are we going to The Bronze this early? I didn't think they were open this early."

"Well, for special occasions they are." Willow smiled at her look. "And still no, this does not have to do with your birthday. But it does have to do with you."

Tara gripped her lover's hand even tighter. She didn't like this surprise thing. Not one bit. But if it was from Willow, she knew that it had to be something wonderful. Just the thought of what had happened yesterday made her happier than she had ever been in her life.

"You first, sweetie." Willow opened the door to the still darkened Bronze. Tara looked at her before making her way slowly in. There was nothing but silence all around.

"Surprise!" Tara jumped at the sound as the lights also went on. The whole place was decorated with pink and white balloons. There were streamers hanging in the ceiling. And there were all of her friends and Willow's.

"What is going on?" Tara looked at everyone. She hadn't noticed the large banner that hung across the stage.

"Just look and you'll see." Willow pointed up to the stage.

Tara followed where Willow was pointing. On the banner was written 'Sorry to have forgotten. I love you now more than ever.' She turned back to the redhead. "Forgot what?"

Now Willow smiled. "Well, I'm not the only one to forget, now was I." She laughed a little. "Well, it was a little over a year ago." She paused. "A lot over a year ago that we first met. And that was truly a magical moment in my life. It took us what seems like forever to finally find one another after that first meeting." She walked up to her girlfriend and pulled her into her arms. "But it was definitely worth every second of it."

The two began kissing. "Aww! Look at the cute couple." Buffy laughed as Willow glared a moment at her. But the glare quickly turned into a smile. "This is sorta anniversary, birthday, and wedding type celebration. We just wanted to show you how happy we are for the two of you."

"Yeah, finding the right person is never easy." Xander wrapped his arm around Anya's waist. "Or exdemon in some cases."

"Hey!" Anya jabbed him in the ribs. "I take exception to that." She turned to the happy couple. "Here's wishing you a lot more happy years of orgasms."

"Yes, well." Giles took off his glasses and began cleaning them. After he put them back on, he walked over to Tara and Willow. "It may be out of place for me to say this, but I feel just like your father. You two make each other so happy, that is obvious for anyone to see. I only worried when the two of you first started seeing each other how the battle of evil would affect your relationship. But you have both been there and supported one another better than any other couple I have ever known. I only wish that if you two do decide someday to have an official ceremony, that I would be included. That I would get to walk both of my daughters down the aisle."

Tears were in Willow's eyes. It was true that at one time she had a crush on him. But over the years, she had looked at him as more of a father figure. Her parents had been all right with her relationship with Tara. But they were not happy. They still wanted her to find a nice Jewish boy. The two did not understand the whole gay thing. And the finding her soulmate that she never wanted to ever be a part from.

"Giles, I..." Willow managed as tears rolled down her cheeks. She swallowed hard. She felt Tara give her hand a little squeeze. "It's true, you are basically my father." She looked at all of her friends. "That's the only thing I regret about my little birthday surprise for Tara, that all of you could not share in it. I know how happy you all are that I finally found someone." She turned and looked deep into Tara's blue eyes. "I found the person that I was meant to find. The one that I will be with, forever and for always."

"Sounds like a song, Will." Xander walked over to the stage and pushed a few buttons. "Thought you two would like to dance with one another."

Willow listened and knew the song right away. She did not hesitate to wrap her arms around her blond witch. The song, 'Forever and For Always' by Shinia Twain was playing. "Care to dance?" Tara nodded. The two spent the rest of the evening dancing and talking with their friends. There was cake and other goodies as well.

*****

Tara shot up straight in bed. And that knocked the arm of her lover off from her chest, waking up the redhead in the process. "What's wrong, sweetie?" Willow eyed the witch sleepily.

"I just, I don't know. Something felt different." She looked into those green eyes of her girlfriend. "Not necessarily of the bad, just some vibe."

Willow sat up on her elbow, looking her in the eye. "Are you still worried about the whole demon thing?" Tara nodded. "Well, I wouldn't be." She pointed to the clock. "After midnight. That means, no demon of any sort. Told ya so." She leaned in and kissed her. "Not that I would have left ya or anything." She held up her left hand. "You're stuck with me forever, baby."

"Now that's torture." Both girls laughed at the comment. Tara leaned in and kissed her. "I think I'm going to be all right now that I've got you in my life."

"Naturally. We help each other so much." Willow smiled. "And I can't wait until next summer."

"What's next summer?" Tara was having trouble speaking. She was finding herself very drawn to Willow at the moment. And it was taking all her willpower not to act on that want.

"We go to England and finish with the control thingy classes that we started, but never really finished." She sighed heavily. "Something tells me that I should have finished it. I have a feeling that something even bigger than this Riley evil twin is going to test our powers. And I just wish that I knew for sure that I had total control over my powers."

"Well, you have me." Tara smiled as she put her hand on her cheek. "I help to keep those magicks under control, don't I?"

Willow smiled. It was an evil smile. "Yes, but the mere touch of you sends me out of control in another way."

"Really?" Willow answered with a passionate kiss.

AN Two chapters in a row that weren't that action packed! Wow! Bet you guys didn't think I could contain myself. But yes, I am going to resolve the Riley issue. And bring in the next baddie. Oh, and sorry it was so long since I updated. I kinda had some fun things happen in real life. Could say I'm lucky to be alive. I am, and I will get back to writing. Thanks for reading, until next time.


	43. 43

AN Sorry about the goof in posting the same chapter twice. Still lots going on. Hope you don't mind the delay. I'll write, as writing is my escape.

Now that Tara's birthday had passed, uneventfully, the gang was now focused on finding out about this evil Riley clone. They still had not much of an ideal where he was. The only thing that they knew for sure was what he was up to. Ethan's knowledge seemed to be rather limited.

"I've told you the cave where I was held captive." Ethan glared at Ripper. He usually liked these sparring matches with his old mate. But he had been asked the same questions over and over again. "I can't tell you something I don't know."

"We could always do a truth spell." Willow looked at Tara who nodded in agreement. "It wouldn't take much. We'd just need to get a few ingredients."

"No need for that, luv." Ethan smiled at the redhead. "I'm telling you all that I know. I swear."

"And your word is to always be trusted." Giles glared at the little sorcerer.

Willow quickly continued. She could see the look that Giles was giving to Ethan. It looked like he wanted to rip his arms off and shove them down his throat. "We could do the spell, just to make sure that he is telling the truth."

Giles continued to stare at Ethan. "I think that would be for the best." Finally, he broke his gaze away from Ethan and turned towards the two witches. "Will you two be all right?"

"Well, not dark out." Willow took Tara's hand in her own. "And we're not being blocked, at the moment. I'd say we're of the good. And the magic store is not that far away. We'll be careful. I promise."

"See that you are." Giles smiled at them.

With that, the two were out the door and on their way to the magic store. They held hands as they walked along. It just felt so good to be with one another. Neither really said anything. Both were just simply enjoying each other's company.

"Well, well." A familiar voice came from behind a corner, not far from the magic store. A familiar figure followed the voice. "Look at the two love birds."

"Amy!" Willow's grip on Tara's hand tightened considerably. The redhead noticed how there was sweat dried to the other girl's face, along with what looked like red dust. "You've looked better."

The former rat only shrugged. "Well, let's just say that being stuck as a rat for two years isn't necessarily that good for you." She stepped closer to the two witches. "And I have you to thank for that."

Willow only shrugged. "I've heard this all before, remember? Or did you forget about that little dream sequence you and your evil boss sent me through."

"That?" Amy laughed. "That was nothing compared to what he has in store for you." She took two more steps towards the witches. "You are in for a world of hurting, my dears."

Suddenly, Willow felt the world spinning around her. She tried to look at Tara, but her eyes would not focus on anything. She felt her hand slip from Tara's. She knew that was not of the good. Her mind raced with images. Images like the ones that she had seen when she had touched Ethan.

"No!" Willow tried to shout. But she could not even hear her own voice. She felt the sidewalk rush up beneath her. And everything was suddenly black.

*****

"How long ago was it that they went on this simple mission?" Buffy was grilling Giles. It was now nearly midnight. And no one had heard or seen from Willow or Tara.

"I told you, they left at around ten this morning." Giles was about to beat the crap out of Ethan. "I'm sure that Ethan could give us a few answers. Maybe I should let my fists do the talking for us."

"Giles!" Her former watcher turned to look at her. "We need to stop playing games. Ethan said where the cave was that he was doing the dirty work of Evil Riley, so why don't we start there. I'll get Spike to back me up." She turned towards Xander and Anya. "Why don't the two of you check out all the places that Will and Tara would hang out. I know we've already tried, but I don't want to miss them."

"On it!" Xander bolted for the door, dragging Anya behind him.

"What about Riley?" Buffy was stopped in her tracks at Giles' question. She turned around to look at him. "Is something amiss between the two of you?"

"Not now, Giles." Buffy looked really sad. "I just don't think I can count on him. Not even now. To tell the truth, I don't even no where he is. And that makes me wonder. But not now. Willow and Tara are out there. Maybe they're all right. But until I find out, I'm not going to rest."

Before Giles could say anything, she was out the door. Giles turned back to Ethan. "Now that we're alone, shall we play at some old games?" The smile of The Ripper came across his face.

*****

"If I knew where they were, do you think I'd be dragging you all over Sunnydale?" Buffy huffed. Spike was beginning to make things rather difficult. "We wouldn't be out her just searching if I knew where to find them."

"Don't know about that, slayer." Spike kept his ears and eyes alert. He kept getting the feeling that the two of them were being followed. Buffy shot him a glaring look. "Ease off. I was only kidding. I know how worried you are about red. And blondie seems to be in tight with the scoobies as well."

Buffy shook her head and sighed. In some ways, she was feeling very good at being so close to Spike. And yet, she knew that nothing could be between them. He is evil. Just another soulless vampire that just happens to have a chip in his brain. "I know who is behind this. And when if find that evil clone thingy, I'm going to rip him to shreds."

Spike shook his head. "I remember what the four of you had to do when you faced off against Adam. And this Riley clone is a lot like the frankenstein monster. What makes you think you'll be able to take him by yourself?"

"Well, I do have you." Buffy blushed for some reason at the statement. She quickly shook it off. "And if we can find Willow and Tara, we'd have the magicks to back us up. Damn!"

"What is it now?" Spike stopped and looked at the blond slayer. "What has gotten into you?"

"You aren't very observant for a vampire." She shook her head and pointed ahead of them. Standing in front of them was a group of ten vampires. "Looks like somebody wants to play."

Spike smiled big. "Haven't had a good spot of violence in a while. Was too cooped up with the bones mending thing. But I'm just fine now."

Buffy casually stepped towards the group of vampires. "So, who sent you and why?"

"The boss." The lead vampire smiled. "He wants us to make sure you don't get any ideas about finding the witches. So, is it time to play?"

"Way past time." Buffy launched herself at the lead vampire so fast that he did not have time to react. Instead, he was dust. "Well now. That wasn't much fun." She eyed the rest of the vampires. "Spike? Care to join in?"

"It'd be my pleasure, mi lady." The two glanced at each other. The words were just too weird between them. But the fight began forming a distraction.

Buffy was circled by four of the remaining vamps while Spike took on the remaining five. There were kicks and blows and staking and all sorts of fun. It didn't take long for the slayer and her vampire compatriot to dust the evil little things.

After catching her breath, the slayer took in her surroundings. They were really close to the caves that Ethan had described. "Looks like someone didn't want us to find the place. But here we are." The two warriors made their way into the cave.

******

Willow felt like her head was going to explode. She blinked carefully and looked around her. Tara was still unconscious. And chained to the wall directly across from her. This was all so familiar somehow.

The redhead sighed as she tried taking in her surroundings. But there was nothing she could really see other than cave walls surrounding her. And of course, her girlfriend way out of reach.

She pulled at her hands, but they were quite safely chained to the wall. Not that she needed hands if she were to do a spell to release her from the chains. Focusing everything she hand on the chains, she tried to get free.

There was just nothingness. She looked deep inside of herself. And there was nothing. Damn it! She was being blocked again. And that was pissing her off big time. Especially since Tara was so far away.

A familiar voice rang in her head. "You know, if you'd only been able to turn me back human before this, we probably wouldn't be on opposite sides."

Willow felt a coldness run up and down her spine. It had to be some kind of spell that Amy was doing to her. Again, she was getting rather angry. Tara's eyes fluttered open at that moment. The redhead tried to say something, but her mouth would not move. It got really frustrating.

Another familiar voice came into her head. "Don't try to talk, sweetie." Willow looked over at a smiling Tara. "They may be able to take away our magicks, but they'll never take away the connection that the two of us have with one another."

"That's for sure." Willow smiled back at the blond witch. Even though they could not physically be touching or even talking to one another, they had this connection. They had from the very first moment that they shook hands. "No one can break us apart."

"Want to bet on that one?" A figure came out of the shadows. The look of surprise on the witches' faces was priceless. "Yes, I have the talent to sometime read minds." (ER is gonna indicate Evil Riley from now one). ER walked out into the middle of the cave where the two lovers could see him. "It comes in handy."

Willow shook her head. She was able to find her voice. "And exactly what do you want with us now? Before, you wanted us to help you magickally make all of your demon guys. What about now?"

ER laughed. "Do you think I will let my plans for the two of you escape? That would not be very smart of me." He looked at the redhead. "But I forget how you are used to dealing with the not so smart villains. Way too easy for you to defeat."

"Easy?" Willow looked at him. "Do you call defeating your twin easy?"

ER shrugged. "To a degree, yes. He had a weakness. I do not. My power core is not that easy to disengage. And the only thing that can truly defeat me is..."

Willow rolled her eyes. But she already pretty much knew the answer to that one. Not that this evil thing would tell her if she were right. No. But it made total sense to her. All she had to do was get herself free. And of course, she could not leave Tara here. The two would be needed. But how to get away when they could not touch and when there was no magick for either of them to call upon.

"You will never be able to act upon that little plan of yours, little witch." ER walked over to her and looked her in the eyed. "You and your lover are not going anywhere."

"I'd like to say that they are." ER turned to see Buffy. Spike was standing on her left side. "Party is just beginning, from what I can tell. Why would anyone want to leave?"


	44. 44

ER just stared at Buffy without saying anything. He had not expected her. But that didn't matter. He could still put his plans to work. But he'd have to kill her and the damn vampire first.  
"There is no party." ER grinned from ear to ear. "This is how things are going to be from now on. All of you will join my race, of that, I promise. And the witches will do my bidding."  
"Do you really think so?" Buffy shook her head. Seeing Willow yet again in danger was really pissing her off. Her best friend was always in danger because of the whole slaying thing. Enough was enough. This evil thing just had to die.  
"You are so stupid to try and defeat me." ER took several steps towards the tiny slayer. "Or have you forgotten what lengths you had to go to defeat my brother."  
"Well, no." Buffy could feel Spike by her side. Her heart was beating faster. It just had to be because of the possibility of a big fight. It couldn't be because of the nearness of the vampire with a chip. "But that just made it that much more fun."  
ER laughed. "You do have guts. You will make a fine addition to my army."  
"Thinking not." Buffy pulled a sword from behind her back. "Always come prepared." As she started towards the demon hybrid, she was tackled to the ground.  
"This is my fight, Buffy."  
"Riley?" Buffy stood up and stared at her boyfriend. Although the way things had been going, boyfriend was a very loose term indeed. She hadn't seen him for two straight days. "What the hell are you doing here?"  
"I sent for him." ER smiled. "And now little brother wants a piece of the action. He doesn't realize how powerful I am."  
"Oh, I realize." Riley put a hand to his face. Buffy noticed a huge scar running from his right eye to his right ear. There was another running across his neck. "And you'll do anything to get your way. Hate to say this, pale, but it's not going to happen in my lifetime you controlling me."  
ER just laughed. "I've never wanted to control you. You came here on your own. You want in. You may have convinced yourself that you don't, but you do. There is power here, little brother. And you could be part of that power."  
Riley looked at Willow and than Tara chained to the wall of the cave. "But at what price?"  
"Human lives mean nothing." ER shrugged. "Demons are the future and the past and the present. Humans are the animals that will someday be extinct. I say that we make it that way a little sooner than later."  
"No!" Riley charged at his lookalike. He tackled him to the ground. Why the two twins were engaged in battle, Buffy made her way to Willow while Spike helped to free Tara. The battle between evil and good continued.  
"Spike, get these two out of here." Buffy could see in his eyes that he did not want to leave her. "I will be right after you. Protect them with your undead life." Spike didn't bother to say a word. Willow tried to protest but was pulled out of the cave by the vampire.  
Buffy turned back to watch the battle. What she saw nearly made her sick. Riley, the one that she had thought that she loved was being held up by the neck. Blood dripped from nearly every part of his body.  
"One last chance, little brother." ER held him tight in his grasp. "Do you want to live and join me? Or would you prefer a quick death. Your choice."  
Riley simply spit blood in the demons face. There was a sickening snapping noise as ER twisted Riley's head around. "No!"  
ER turned towards Buffy. "You are next, my dear. Which would you prefer?"  
Buffy looked at the demon for a moment before taking off out the cave entrance. She felt like she was going to be sick. She and Riley were never going to be a couple again, but this was just too much. She was having trouble running because of the dry heaves that kept coming.  
Finally, she stopped and looked around. She was halfway to Giles' and hadn't even realized it. Spike and the others were nowhere to be seen. She just hoped that they were there waiting for her.   
"I can't believe we just left her." Willow was pacing in front of the couch in Giles' place that Tara was sitting on. "She could be..."  
"And so could you, pet." Spike leaned against the doorway to the kitchen. "Do you think I like the idea of running? I'm a fighter. I stay and fight. But we need you two birds alive in case we need some major league mojo."  
Willow stopped in her tracks. "We are going to need that mojo. But how are we going to get it? We're being blocked again. There is no power to tap into. Well there is, but no way of tapping into it."  
Giles made his way out of the kitchen and handed Spike a mug full of blood. He rolled his eyes as Spike swigged down the whole thing in one gulp. "This is getting to be a disgusting habit." He sighed heavily and turned towards Willow. "We'll find a way. Didn't you say that you now know how to defeat this demon hybrid?"  
"I hope so." Buffy walked in at that moment. "Where's Xander and Anya?"  
"They're still searching." Giles took in Buffy's demeanor. "Something happened. Are you hurt?"  
Buffy shook her head. "No. Not me. But Riley's dead. That evil thing snapped his neck like it was nothing."  
"Dear lord!" Giles managed to sit down on the arm of the couch opposite that Tara was sitting on.  
"Will, do you really have a way of defeating this thing?" Buffy made her way over and stood in front of her best friend. "We could sure use it. I have the feeling that he's going to get out of control and fast."  
"He's already out of control." Willow sighed heavily. "And I do know how to stop him. He kinda let something slip in that one dream sequence he put me through. Only he didn't realize it at the time. I know how to defeat him. I just have to get our powers back. That's the only way."  
Buffy turned to Giles. "Any suggestions?"  
Giles shrugged. "I've contacted the coven. There is one witch that may be able to help. Her name is Althena. I believe she was of good help to you and Tara while in England."  
Willow nodded. "Yeah, she seems to really know her stuff. Maybe even better than Mrs. Foster did. Do you really think she can help? I mean, remember we're not only dealing with that evil thing but Amy has a case of revengitis."  
"She is still powerful, right?" Buffy asked.  
"Well, as far as I could tell." Willow smiled shyly. "She was good at the knocking us out with the magicks so that we got stuck chained to a cave wall and nearly killed. I can imagine what her powers are like now."  
"Giles, I just noticed something." Buffy turned to her watcher. "Where's Ethan?"  
"What?" Giles looked around the apartment. "Oh, bloody hell. I forgot about him in all of this. Who knows where the weasel has gotten him self."  
"That's not important, mate." Spike made his way fully into the living room with the others. "We have to figure out how to bloody well give these two birds their power back. Any more suggestions than the ones that have been given."  
"I think I know." Tara's voice surprised everyone. "But I don't like it. It's very dangerous."  
"And what isn't dangerous?" Everyone glared at Spike.  
"What is it, baby." Willow made her way to sit next to Tara. She took her hand in her own. "What have you got going on in that gorgeous head of yours."  
Tara blushed a little at the comment. "Well, we would need to be close to Evil Riley. We all thought it was Ethan or Amy that was doing the blocking spell. Well, while we were there, I felt it coming from Evil Riley himself. I think he only needs Amy as a power source."  
"Of course." Willow got all excited. "That make sense. And that would explain him in control of the dream sequence." She looked up at Buffy. "The only way to break the spell would be for either Tara or me to physically touch him."  
"What!" Buffy looked at her friend like she was crazy. "There has got to be another way. You can't be serious, Will. It's too dangerous."  
Willow stood up and looked her friend in the eye. "And just sitting here waiting for that thing to make all the humans into demons or just killing them is the right thing to do?" She took her friend's hands in her own. "You know that we are the only line between evil taking over the world. If it weren't for us, how many times would the world have been destroyed by now?"  
"True, Will." Buffy turned to Giles. "You're with me on this one, right? This is too much to ask of Willow and Tara. Maybe too much."  
"It's there choice, Buffy." Giles smiled at the slayer. "If this is their wish, than so be it."  
"I hate being the slayer." Buffy pulled Willow into a hug. "I don't like this, you know that right?"  
Willow smiled and held her friend tight. "It's my choice. It's time to take out this evil."   
Xander and Anya had been briefed on the plan. They weren't a part of it. Neither was Giles. Only Spike, Buffy, Willow and Tara were to make their way into the cave and try and stop yet another apocalypse from happening.  
ER stood in the middle of the cave. He was waiting. He knew that the two witches were coming. And he knew that they would not be alone. A short time later, he saw the four enter.  
"It's time." ER smiled. "Do you think you have what it takes to defeat me, little witches?"  
Willow nodded as she took Tara's hand in her own. It was now up to her and her soulmate to finish this here and now. Enough was definitely enough. "We're ready. Are you?"  
ER smiled. "And the two of you are going to do what? Just stand there and watch."  
"Yeah." Buffy hated what she was about to let happen. "We're here just in case."  
"Very well." ER stood tall. "Come to me, little witches."  
Willow and Tara slowly made their way to stand within inches of the demon. None of the three moved for what seemed like forever. Finally, Willow and Tara took a deep breath and placed their hands on the chest of the demon.  
There was this sudden burst of white light throughout the whole cave. Along with the light, there was a burst of wind swirling around and around. It knocked both Buffy and Spike to the ground. They quickly made their way to their feet.  
The threesome was involved in an awesome light display. There were dark lights that seemed to be attacking Willow and Tara, while the white lights went after the demon.  
Finally, there was this great big explosion that knocked both Buffy and Spike out of the cave. Buffy made it to her feet first and tried to go back in. But the cave was no more. It had crumbled to the ground.  
Buffy sank to the ground, tears freely falling. Spike came up from behind her and put his hand on her back. She looked up at him. "They're gone." She squeaked out the sentence.  
"I know they are love." Spike pulled Buffy into a hug. "I'm so sorry, my pet. This shouldn't have happened to them."  
Buffy stayed crying in Spike's arms for what seemed like forever. She sobbed and sobbed. After all that they had been through, she couldn't believe that her best friend was gone. It should have been her that died. She was the slayer. She was the one that was supposed to die.  
"Hey, Buffy." The slayer turned to see two familiar faces smiling at her.  
"What the..." She trailed off. Was it really them?  
Willow smiled even bigger. "Sorry for the scare and all. But we did it. We defeated Evil Riley. And Amy is out of the picture for a while."  
"Will, is it really you?" Buffy could not believe her eyes. There was no way anyone could have survived that type of an explosion. Except for maybe two very powerful witches. She managed to free herself from Spike's grip. Slowly, she made her way over to where the two witches stood.  
"It's me." Willow opened her arms. Buffy ran the rest of the way and tackled the redhead to the ground. "Uh, Buffy. Oxygen."  
"Sorry, Will." Buffy smiled big. "You really did it, didn't you. And you're alive. But how."  
Willow took Tara's hand in her own. "Two things. Love and magick." 


	45. 45

AN I know, big time ending again. What can I say? Gotta go with the big bang. Just a quick note, I have a friend who has posted a couple stories that are in the Buffy world but not Buffy characters. Name's foxgate. They're really good stories that are based on some of mine that I've yet to post. And if anyone is interested, I finally posted the first part of my original story on fictionpress.com under strange1 of course. I'd appreciate the reviews as would my friend. But to each their own. Story time.

The big battle had taken place. And yet again there were no big time injuries to speak of. And Willow and Tara survived the biggest explosion since they blew up the school. Now everyone, especially Giles was wondering how.

"It's no big deal." Willow sat leaning her head on Tara's shoulder on Giles' couch and holding her hand at the same time. "It just came to us. We survived. What's the big deal?"

Giles rolled his eyes. "You know very well what the big deal is. Magicks can be dangerous. Are you sure that you were not tapping into the dark magicks?"

Willow sighed. It had been nearly an hour of nonstop questions from Giles and the rest of the gang. It was getting to be too much. "Listen. Seriously. We had a plan all along. We knew what we wanted to do. We had to use the dark magicks of Evil Riley against him. We basically deflected any attack that he tried on us. And as a result, his own dark magicks that were borrowed we think from Amy, came back on him. Hence, the big time explosion."

Giles took off his glasses and began cleaning them. He knew that there was more to the story than the girls were letting him in on. "And what about how you survived? It wasn't the simply blocking of the power as you like to say it."

"No, it wasn't." Willow looked him in the eye. "That's why when Buffy asked how we survived, I told her magick and love." She kept her head on Tara's shoulder. The contact was the only thing making her comfortable at the moment. "When we knew that there was going to be an explosion, we tapped into one another. And we put up a barrier spell. One that was strengthened by the fact that we love each other more than anything in the world. And that's the basics of how we defeated Evil Riley. But not at a price. We couldn't save the real Riley." She turned to look at her best friend. But she could tell from one look that it wasn't really affecting her like it should. "Are you all right, Buffy?"

"Hmm?" Buffy turned towards the witch. "Yeah, I'm fine. At least, I think I am. Just really weird. I didn't have to be the one doing the heroics this time. It was you and your girl."

Willow smiled. "We were lucky. If our love for one another wasn't as strong as it is, we probably never would have survived. And that's just a little scary." She sighed heavily. "And I'm kinda beat from all the magicks and stuff." She turned towards Giles. "Since there seems to be no one at the moment taking up the bad guy fight, can Tara and I get out of here?"

"Yes," Giles smiled. He knew what it was like to be young and in love. And the two were definitely in love. "I dare say that we could all use a little down time."

"Well, me and Anya are gonna have that special evening we've had planned for a while." Xander smiled at the knowing looks that everyone shot him. "What?" He shrugged. "Like Willow and Tara aren't going to go home and have wild monkey sex."

"Hey!" Anya smacked Xander on the back of the head. "I'm supposed to be the one to say that."

Buffy walked over closer to her redheaded friend. "I don't want to bother you Will, but tomorrow, could we talk sometime? There's something that's kinda been, well weighing on me a little and I think it's time for the best friend talk."

"Sure, Buff." Willow finally got up from her nice place next to Tara. "Anytime you want. Well, school's of the issue, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Buffy swooped in and hugged her best friend. "Don't ever scare me like that again. You hear me miss all powerful witch?"

Willow laughed. "Hey, can't help it if there are times when a slayer just doesn't cut it. Sometimes you need someone with real power."

"Just one more question that I think we've forgotten to ask." Buffy could see the look on Willow's face. "What exactly did happen to Amy?"

Now Willow smiled big. "Rat again."

* * *

It was still dark out, lucky for the vampire. He had watched the whole reunion show go on. It made him sick to think how happy he was at the moment. And all because a certain slayer was now happy that her two friends hadn't been killed.

"Bloody hell." He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket. A thought entered his mind how Buffy would not like the fact that he was smoking. "Oh this is sodding ridiculous." He sighed heavily and crumpled the pack and threw it to the ground. "I have so got to do something about this."

He took in his surroundings. There wasn't much around him at Willy's Place. Some of the demons had tried to make a point of how he wasn't their kind and wasn't welcome there. But he had made his point much more effectively and had left a fairly bloody mess of the bar. On that thought, he grinned. At least he could still have some spot of violence. "Bloody damn chip in my head. If I didn't have this bloody thing, things would be different."

A thought suddenly occurred to him. It wasn't the best idea he had ever had. But it would make things better. If only he could possibly survive, that is. It would definitely be worth it.

He noticed one of the demons that he had had fun earlier with had keys on his belt. He grabbed the keys. "Motorcycle. Excellent. That'll get me part of the way that I need to go."

Slowly, he made his way to where all the vehicles were parked. There were only two motorcycles. He chose to try the red one first. The motor roared to life underneath him. "Priceless." He smiled big as he revved up the engine. "You get nice and comfy slayer. Things are gonna be different when I get back. You can count on it." He laid down a line of black as he took off.

* * *

"Willow?" Tara asked softly. They were in bed with one another. After making tender, we survived another apocalypse, type of love.

"What is it sweetie?" She rolled over to look into that sea of blue that she so easily got lost in.

"Are you still happy with me?" Tara kept her gaze steady. "I mean, when we first met, I was all shy and quiet and now, I think I'm more confident. I've changed."

"Yes, you have." Willow smiled big at her everything. "But so have I. We've grown a lot since we met. Think about it, you just turned twenty. We've now know each other a full two years. I'll be twenty in a couple short months. A lot can happen in two years. Good and bad. The good is that we found each other and aren't about to let one another go."

Tara smiled big. "I wasn't really worried. It just seems like both of us have gone through so many changes and so fast that I sometimes wonder where we're going to end up."

"With each other." Tara looked at the redhead. "That's the only thing that I'm sure of in this lifetime. That you and are meant to be together. Why do you think that spell worked so well that defeated the big bad? It's because we are as one. We think as one. And we will always be as one. The world may end, but when it does, we'll still be together, loving one another."

Tara smiled big. "You are ever the romantic, aren't you?"

Willow shrugged. "Can't help what comes naturally. And you don't help matters. I jut want to make you happy so I'll do anything to keep that smile on your face."

"Anything?" Tara raised her eyebrows.

"You know it." Willow leaned in and gave her a deep tender kiss. "There is nothing I won't do for you. We belong together. I think we've proven that already, don't you?" Tara answered her with another kiss.

* * *

The van barely made it to a stop. But the red haired driver managed to stop it and kill the engine at the same time. It had been forever since he had been back in Sunnydale. It was time, though. And he needed some closure.

The door opened and Oz got out. He had already driven by Giles and only the watcher was there. He had asked that he not tell anyone else that he was back in town. Not yet anyways. He had asked how Willow was doing and Giles had simply said that she was happier than he had ever known her.

And that hurt a little. For part of the reason that he had come back was to see her. In the past two years, he had yet to meet anyone. Oh, there were other women. And there was even one that was a werewolf like himself. But no one that was special.

Not like his redheaded witch. But not his. Not anymore. Not for the longest of times. If she were truly happier than she had ever been than it was likely that she had found someone else.

Oz could not help but wonder if Xander and Willow had gotten together. After all, that is what did break them up for a while before he decided that he could not live without her. But than things started falling apart again. Mostly because of the darn band. All that time away was not a good thing.

He made his way to the door. Hopefully Devon would be able to come through and put him up for a couple nights. At least till he got to see Willow. And to see if she were seeing anyone.

The thought made him growl. He would have to be careful not to lose control over the wolf. While gone, he had indeed learned how to control the wolfiness inside of him. And now that he could control that, perhaps he could have a chance with his forever.

* * *

The monitors began beeping wildly. Something was definitely wrong. Or was it? The girl looked around her and realized that she was in the hospital. She didn't know how long she had been here, but that would be easy to find out.

She ripped the IV out of her hand. She had places to go and people to see. The nurse came in at that moment. "Uh, miss? Where do you think you are going?"

The girl answered her with a hand at her throat. "What day is it? How long have I been stuck here?"

"It's..." Before she could answer, the nurse passed out from lack of oxygen.

"Damn!" Faith looked around the room. There was a newspaper on the stand by her bed. "Damn! It's been two and a half years!" She tossed the newspaper back down. She quickly made her way over to the nurse. It didn't take long for her to remove the nurses clothing and put them on.

"The boys always did like it when I dressed up as nurse." Faith made her way out of the hospital. Even though it had been so long that she lay in a coma, her muscles seemed to be just fine. Must be that slayer thing. "I wonder what one tight assed bitch and her friends are up to right about now."

There were only two places that she could remember. Giles' was closer so she made her way there. She could not tell what time it was but she knew that morning was not far away.

First she looked into the darkened living room. Just as she had thought, there was no one there. "Another big surprise." She sighed heavily. "Where are you, B."

"If you aren't with your watcher, you must be with your mother." Faith began the small trek to Buffy's house. "Although, you could be college girl. Wonder if you have a dorm room or anything. That'd be interesting."

Faith climbed up to Buffy's bedroom window. Not that she had done it many times before, but she still remembered how. She peered in and sure enough. "Miss thing," she whispered to herself. "Either no college or home for the night." She sat herself on the window ledge staring as Buffy lay sleeping. "Payback is gonna be a bitch, B!" She let her thoughts go through her mind. "One way to pay you back. Hurt the ones you love just the way that you hurt the one that I cared about."

She noticed Buffy begin tossing and turning and even could hear her moaning. "That's right, girl. There's trouble on the way. And with a capital F."


	46. 46

AN Just to let you know, I'm kinda running out of ideas again. I know I started some big things, but still I'm not sure exactly where to go. So either you can give me story ideas (iamstrange1yahoo.com) or I'll keep muttling through.

There were sounds all around the cave, but one deep voice kept echoing the loudest. Spike thought it was strange how he'd been able to get to Africa so fast. But when you use a shaman to teleport you, anything is possible.

"You think you are worthy?" That deep voice thundered throughout the cave once again. It rattle the stalactites violently nearly sending them shattering down from the roof of the cave.

"You betch your ass I'm worthy." Spike looked around him. There was still no sign of the owner of the voice and it was making him a little nervous. He was a warrior after all and he liked to be able to see what exactly he was fighting. Or not fighting depending on the scenario.

"Very well, vampire." The voice nearly knocked him to the ground this time. "We'll see if you are ready as you think you are. Prepare for the first test."

"Bring it bloody well on!" Spike was getting tired of all the talk. He was definitely one for the action. And once he got what he came for, Buffy would not help but look at him in a different light. "Time to make those changes, bitch!"

That's when he heard the sparks coming from behind him. He turned to see a warrior standing before him. At least, that was the way he would describe him. He appeared to be half man, half demon. But what was catching Spike's eyes were his fists. They were sparking heavily. And before too long, those fists were on fire. And the flames kept growing and growing.

"Bloody hell!" Spike yelled as he dodged the first fist.

Buffy suddenly sat up in bed. That had to have been the strangest dream she had ever had. It started out with her and Spike fighting some kind of beasty together. And it ended up with the two of them making out. And that wasn't the strange part. She actually really enjoyed the making out part.

The strange part was the fact that Faith had shown up. She and Buffy and fought. Spike had tried to help and the rogue slayer had dusted him for the distraction. And than, she turned on Buffy with the eviliest look she had ever seen in someone's eyes. And than, there was the nothing. Faith had won.

She looked at the clock. It was past six thirty and the time that she was supposed to have met Willow so that they could have the talk. The talk about her first part of her dream. The part that she had enjoyed a little too much.

Not taking any time to really get ready, she grabbed her coat and made her way as fast as she could. She found the redheaded witch looking at the clock on The Espresso Pump's wall. They had decided that coffees and not a loud gyrating band were in order for this girl talk time.

"Hey Buffy!" Willow said excitedly. It had been forever since the two of them had any alone time. She herself was always wrapped up in Tara. And now that they didn't share a room, it was harder to do the talking thing. "I know that look. Something big is going on."

"Well, it could be nothing." Buffy shrugged. "Or it could have been one of my dreams." Willow's face immediately took on a look of concern. "But there is something I want to talk about before we get into my whole dream weirdness that is me."

"Whatever you want." Willow smiled at her friend. "I'm of the good, so it's whatever you need."

Buffy smiled at her friend. "I take it married life is treating you rather well."

Willow smiled even bigger. "Married life is treating me very extremely oh my god I can't believe how good it's treating me. But you're changing the subject. Stopped doing that. I want the juicy details that is your life."

Again, Buffy could not help but smile. Willow is and forever would be the sweetest most caring person she had ever met. "Well, nothing too big." Her eyes darted to the mocha that Willow had had waiting for her.

"Liar, liar! Pants on fire." Willow giggled at what she said. "I can't believe I just said that. Geez, these good moods make me say the strangest things."

"You always say the strangest things." Buffy laughed at the look that Willow shot her. "Sorry, couldn't help it. You set yourself up so well with that one. Anyways..." She sighed heavily. Admitting this big thing to her friend was hard. Harder than she thought it was going to be. "I think I have feelings for Spike." Her gaze made it back to her mocha.

"So?" She looked up at the redhead's simple word. "I kinda noticed the looks that you two have been giving one another. And Spike never did like Riley." She got sad at the mention of the soldier. She was still sad that she and Tara could not save him. "And I know that look. You gave Angel that look. You never really did have that look for Riley."

Buffy sighed heavily. "Is it really that obvious?"

Willow shrugged. "I think only to a best friend and the best friend's wife that can kinda read auras and all. Other than that, I don't think Xander, Anya, or Giles have a clue. And I really don't think Spike does either. I think he was too preoccupied with dealing with his feelings for you." She thought for a moment. "I haven't seen him around lately. Where's he off to?"

"Not sure." Buffy shrugged for emphasis. "He never even said goodbye. I went to his crypt to see if he'd help on patrol and he was gone. I found some weird looking demon. Kinda one of those skin hanging really loose kind of demons. He said Spike just asked him to keep the crypt for him and he would be back. Just didn't know when."

"Well, now. That is weird." Willow looked at her best friend. "And I know that look. You miss him, don't you?"

Buffy smiled sheepishly. "I can't help it. I know he's all evil and the only thing that's preventing him from killing humans is the chip, but there's something about him. And he is damn sexy. Even you have to admit that."

Willow nodded. "There is something about him. Even me, who is into the ladies is happy to admit that. But he's not like Angel. In the sense that he doesn't have a soul. This is kinda complicated, now isn't it?" She smiled at her friend. "And you haven't even told me about your dream."

"Oh yeah!" Buffy sighed. "Well, it started off all of the good. In the sense that me and Spike were having the smoochies kinda good. And than Faith showed up. And she dusted Spike and she killed me. At least, everything went black so I'm assuming that meant I was dead."

"Faith?" Willow looked really worried. She remembered feeling the cold steel of that special knife against her throat. It wasn't the most pleasant of feelings at all. "Have you checked the hospital to see if she's still there?"

Buffy shook her head. "I never thought of doing that. In fact, I'm going to head over to Giles' now. You coming?"

Willow shook her head. "Plans later. Of the romantic variety. But I will call and check in, I promise."

Buffy smiled as she watched the redhead hurry out of The Espresso Pump. It was exactly what she wanted to do. Hurry out of there and find her way into the open arms of Spike. But that just wasn't right, was it?

Oz had had trouble finding where Willow was now staying. She wasn't at the dorms with Buffy, Buffy's mom hadn't known, and her parents were out of town on business. So it had taken him quite some time to find her apartment.

He stood outside for what seemed like forever. Finally, he got the courage to knock on the door. And that took a lot. He hadn't run across Xander or Giles. He didn't know if Willow had a new boyfriend and was living with him or exactly what was going on in her life. All he knew was that he knew he still wanted to be a part of it. So, he knocked.

A blond woman stood there when the door opened. He sighed internally in relief thinking that at least she wasn't living with a guy. That she must have a roommate. A roommate that wasn't Buffy was kinda strange. "Can I h-help you?" Tara recognized Oz from pictures that she kept of the two of them.

"Hi, my name is Oz." He looked around the blond to see if he could see Willow anywhere. "Willow Rosenberg lives here, right?" She nodded nervously. "Cool. It's just that I'm her, well, exboyfriend. And I just wanted to talk for a little bit. Is she here by chance." More wordy than usual. But this was something so different. And it was scary at the same time.

"Uh, W-Willow's with Buffy right now." She swallowed hard. "You can come in and wait for her. She and I had plans for tonight so she should be home soon."

"That's cool." Plans? They just must be really good friends. That's all. He slowly made his way in and sat on the couch. "So, how long have you two been living together?"

Tara eyed Oz nervously. She knew he was a werewolf. And she could not help but wonder if he was back for her wife. The woman that she was totally committed to. "For about six months."

"Wow! That's so cool." Oz glanced around the room. He noticed that most of the pictures on the wall and on the tables were of just the blond and Willow. Only a few that also included Xander and Buffy. "So, what's your name?"

"S-sorry." Tara smiled nervously. "Tara."

"Pretty name." He smiled at her. He could not help but wonder why she was so nervous. That's when the front door opened and Willow walked in.

She didn't even see Oz. She just made a beeline for her girl. And took her into a great big passionate kiss. Tara managed to break the kiss. Willow looked at her, wondering what was going on. Tara sighed. "Oz is here."

Willow turned around to see Oz. But it wasn't her Oz. It was an Oz she used to watch pacing around the library cage at night. "This is not good." That's when Oz growled and leapt at the two witches.


	47. 47

AN Geez! Can't believe how long it's been since I updated. Sorry about that guys. It's called life. And sometimes it sucks beyond the telling of it. But I'm back. Sorry it's so short. No promises on how often, but I will try and update as often as I can. Thanks to all my loyal readers. You make it worth it.

There were so many burn marks across the vampire's body. And blood flowed freely from his nose and his right ear. And he stood slumped over. He looked up at the robed demon with the glowing blue eyes. An evil grin made it's way on to his face. "So, did I bloody well past the bloody test?"

There was silence for a few moments before the demon growled low in its throat. There was an echo throughout the cave as it spoke. "Yes, you have. So, what exactly is it that you wish, vampire? To be whole again?"

Spike managed to stand upright. "Bloody hell yes! That girl is gonna see a change in me. I need her to see a change in me. I want this change more than anything. If only so that I can be with her in every way possible."

The laughter from the demon shook the entire cave. "You, vampire are naive. You think that by doing this that you can make the girl love you? Humans just don't simply work that way. You cannot force love when it is not there. And if this is the reason, you should so be warned. You are dealing with something more powerful than you could ever imagine. It will change you. And not necessarily for the better."

Spike simply shrugged. "Whatever. I fought hard and I earned the right to do this. So, work the mojo. Do what you have to make me as I was before."

The demon's hand glowed as it made its way back to the vampire's chest. "Very well than. You wish it. And here it is. I return your soul."

Spike howled in pain as the glowing hand touched his chest. And the glowing grew and grew. Before long it enveloped his entire chest and made it's way to his eyes. He managed to mutter between the screaming, "the bitch is gonna see a change."

Faith took in her surroundings. Sunnydale high had certainly changed since she had last been there. And so had other things. She had spent the time that she had been awake spying on the scoobies. Xander was with this Anya chick, who she gathered was an exdemon. Willow was now batting for the other team and was with a fellow witch named Tara. Giles was as alone as ever. And Buffy was alone.

And that made her smile. Buffy suffering and alone was a very pleasant thought indeed. Or was it. She shook her head. Where the hell had that come from. The bitch had stabbed her. Had tried to kill her just so that she could cure her boyfriend that she was now no longer with. And it had ended up costing the rogue slayer valuable time. And her boss. The mayor was gone. Who in the hell did she have now?

Slowly, she walked the burnt remains of the old school. Even being in the state it was she could recognize the familiar spots. Like the water fountain that she had met Scott Hope at. And the gymnasium that had served her well when she had got that jerk back for dumping B. And of course there was the cafeteria where she had nearly ripped off the redheaded witch's arm.

She hadn't gone to the school, but she had spent so much time there. Especially in the library. She remembered all those scooby meetings. How they had tried to make her feel a part of the group. But she never could feel that way. All her life she had been an outsider. And she just couldn't open up to anyone. Especially not Queen B.

The library hit her the hardest. It really was where all her memories were of the scoobies. She remembered that battle that had been so big. She had fought so well beside Buffy that day. And they had kicked major league ass. It was the greatest feeling ever to have defeated something so big. And with Buffy right by her side.

But than, the deputy mayor thing had happened. And that's when everything had gone bad. Or was it before that? B had tried to stay by her side. Why hadn't she let the other slayer help her out? She just couldn't understand. Why had she so easily turned to the darkside. Was there something wrong with her? And she remembered how Angel had tried helping her. But those damn council people had interrupted. Had they not, could things have been different for her?

Suddenly, she sat on the floor, head buried in her hands. Tears streaming down her face. She had been so evil. She had killed a human by accident. But that wasn't her fault. The way she had mutilated that demon. And taken pleasure in nearly killing Angel. And the feeling she had gotten when she had held that special knife against Willow's throat. And of course when she had been fighting Buffy. Taking her out would have been so wonderful. Or, would it?

But that wasn't the real her, was it? She couldn't possibly be that evil, could she? She sighed heavily. What was going on? Was this all because she had been out of commission for so long? Or was she finally have remorse for all that she had done. She wiped the tears from her eyes, anger suddenly filling her up again. B needed to pay.

A stray thought went through her mind. 'You don't have to do this Faith. You could ask for help. You don't have to go down this path again. They'll still be there for you'. "Fuck that!" Faith shouted into the air. "Bitch needs to pay." She stormed off intent on finding the blond slayer. And when she found her, the bitch would know a new level of pain.

"Oz!" Willow screamed as she tackled Tara to the ground. He landed where her wife had stood just seconds before. And he was up and ready to pounce in a second. Willow waved her arm shouting "elements of air, I beg of you, freeze where you are!"

The werewolf froze in mid leap and just hung there. The redhead helped the blond up. Both kept their gaze on Oz. His eyes were still moving, watching their every move. There was even a low growl coming from the werewolf.

Finally, Willow tore her gaze away from the monster her ex had become. "You all right baby?" She wrapped her arms around the witch and could feel that she was shaking. And shaking hard. "He didn't hurt you did he?"

Tara shook her head. She smiled a little. "No, you acted too quickly." The blond's blue eyes just could not leave the werewolf for a second. She had heard about him and his interesting way of being able to transform. But she had never seen it for herself. "What are we going to do? That won't hold him long."

Willow shrugged. "I think he can still hear me. Maybe I can reason with the man inside the werewolf." She stepped closer. "Oz can you hear me?" The growling faded a little. "I'm sorry that you found out this way. But remember, we parted so that we could find love. Not that we weren't in love. It's just that neither of us truly were happy. And, well, I should have told you the part about me being gay. I'm sorry you found out this way. But I love Tara so much. She's my everything. And believe it or not, I still do love you. You were my first real love. And I'll always treasure the memories I have of our time together."

There was a little bit of movement from the werewolf as the spell began to wear off. Willow quickly stood next to Tara taking her hand in her own. The spell faded completely and Oz, the human naked kind, fell to the floor. He looked up at Willow and Tara with a sad look on his face. "You got a blanket or something?"

Willow got the blanket that they kept draped over the couch and handed it to her ex. She watched him wrap it around himself as he slowly stood up. She made her way to stand next to Tara again. And again, their fingers intertwined.

Oz's gaze would not meet either of the witches. "Sorry about that." Finally, he looked at Willow. "Guess it was stupid of me to think that you would be waiting for me. It's been so long. And I guess you being with a woman kinda also shocked me."

The redhead nodded. "Understandable. Again, I should have told you that part. But I still was unsure. I was unsure until I met Tara. And well, we just fell in love. It happened so quickly. I don't know what else to say. It is good to see you. I have missed you."

"I think I'll be going now." He looked at Tara and smiled. "I'm sorry I tried to kill you. I thought I had this whole thing under control. Guess I gotta work on it a little more."

Tara smiled her sweet innocent smile. "Hey, I know how I'd react if I found Willow with someone else. It's understandable."

Oz laughed a little. "I'll just leave now."

Both women watched him go out the door. Willow turned to Tara. "I'm sorry about that." She gently kissed her on the lips.

"Sorry about what?" Tara smiled. "Once you've fallen for Willow, you stay fallen. Believe me, I know."

Willow laughed. It felt so good and right whenever she was in the arms of the blond. She made her happier than she had ever been in her life. "I love you. You are my everything."

"And you, mine." They began kissing passionately again. So much so that they collapsed to the couch. "Want me to show you how much I love you?" Willow responded by taking the blond's lips into her own. And than, the phone rang.

"Grrr!" Willow stood up and made her way to the phone. "Buffy, what is it? Faith! She really is on the loose. Damn. No it's all right. We'll go looking for her as well. Maybe we could try the old school. It has some good hiding potential. Right."

She turned to Tara. "Something bad?"

Willow sighed. "I never did tell you about the time Faith, the rogue slayer tried to kill me did I." Tara stared at her. "Well, we'll have time for that. As we look for her."


	48. 48

AN Things have gotten a lot better for me. But still no promises on how fast I'll update. Just thanks for the good reviews and I still have some places for this story to go.

Willow and Tara wandered around the old high school. In a short time, there would be a brand new high school being built. And Xander was going to head up the construction on it. The redhead had already filled in her everything about Faith and how dangerous she could be.

In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but get the feeling that they were being watched or followed or something anyways. But that was silly. Unless of course Faith had already spotted them and was indeed the one following them.

Both witches jumped when a very familiar, at least to Willow figure jumped out of the shadows. "You really should be more careful there Red." Faith stood before them, her hands down by her side. "You think living in Sunnydale all your life would make you know what evil things can lurk in the dark."

Willow looked at Faith. Her demeanor was nothing like it was so long ago when she had turned against them and fought along the side of evil. Still. "And you're evil?"

Faith shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I could be." She eyed the blond. "It's nice to meet you Tara. I'm surprised that Willow ever gave up Oz, but you seem nice. And I get the sense that you are better for her than wolfboy ever was."

Both witches stared at Faith for a few minutes. "H-how did you know about me?"

That made the rogue slayer laugh. "I've been laying low the last few days. But that doesn't mean I haven't been watching the old gang to see what they are up to. You guys really ought to be more careful. Psychos are all over the place you know."

"Again I ask, are you referring to yourself by chance?" Willow looked into those dark eyes of the slayer. There was something different about her. It was like she was different than she used to be. "But I don't think you are."

At this, the dark haired woman snapped her attention to the redhead. "You think I've changed? You think that I won't use this on you two bitches?" With that, Faith pulled out a dagger. One that Willow remembered oh so well.

"Where'd you get that?" Willow remembered how Buffy had used it to taunt the mayor. And that is what basically lead to his demise. Human weakness in a giant demon. Funny.

"I've been around. You think I just spied on you freaks?" Faith began pacing back and forth. "I needed weapons. Slayers need weapons. Cause they are built for killing. And killing is what they do oh so well. I should know. I've killed vampires. I've killed demons. And I've killed humans." She turned and thrust the dagger at the two witches. "I've never killed witches before. I wonder if it's any different from killing regular humans. Should we find out?"

Willow again looked into those eyes. She knew that something wasn't right with Faith. And not just the seemingly mad ramblings either. No. There was something going on in her head. Maybe that was why she had gone all rogue slayer on them so many years ago. Was there something playing with her head? "Faith, you don't want to kill us. And you couldn't even if you did."

The slayer's eyes widened considerably. "That's pretty big talk from an itty bitty witch like yourself. Last I knew, you could barely float a pencil. What? Have you moved up in the world why I slept?"

The redhead swallowed hard. "Yeah, I've moved up. In fact, I now have so much power that if I should lose control, I could destroy the entire universe. And you think you're a killer? Just imagine killing every last creature that exists."

Now the slayer's mouth hung open as well. "Damn! Little Red is now all grown up! Who would have ever thought it." Faith looked at Tara. "And what about you, my dear. Have you this power control issues like your sweetie."

Willow stepped in front of her wife. "You leave her out of this. If you're going to be messing with anyone, it's gonna be me. Cause if you're still all evil I owe you payback, remember?"

"Are you still testy just cause I held a knife to your throat?" Faith laughed. "No wait! It was because I decked you." She laughed even harder. "I know what's really got your panties all bunched up. You're still mad that Xander wouldn't give you the time of day and yet we did the horizontal tango."

"Faith." Willow's voice had an edge to it. One that made the slayer look at her twice. "We're here to help you. If you want that help. If not, we're here to take you down. It's your call. Just let me know how you want it."

"Not time." Faith began running. "It's not time yet! Only when they say it is will it be time! And than, everyone better watch out." She kept running and soon disappeared.

Willow turned to Tara. "Did you understand that? I mean, one moment she's talking like she wants to be a part of us again and that she's all sorry. Than she's talking like she wants to kill us. And than, she says that it's not time. Is that how it was or am I just crazy."

"You're not crazy." Tara was still staring after where Faith had disappeared. "I think we have a major problem."

"You mean the fact that a homicidal maniac is on the loose?" Willow smiled a little. "Or would there be another big problem you're referring to."

Tara turned to the redhead. "I think that Faith is in trouble. I think she wants to be good. But I think someone is sorta controlling her. I can see her aura. Someone or something is tainting it. And I don't mean from her doing all that killing. That's there too. But there is something else. And I don't know what it is."

* * *

Neither wiccan knew that they had been followed. And it wasn't Faith. No. There was another that was following both. And there was a low growl that came from his throat. Especially when the two joined hands and began leaving the darkened compound that used to be where he had gone to high school.

Cautiously, he stepped into the little bit of moonlight that showed down. There was a look of the wolf in his eyes though he had not morphed into the werewolf. Not yet. And it was taking all of his control not to wolf out.

He should just go and let Willow lead her happy life. But he couldn't do that. No. He just had to stay around. Their love was one that should never have ended. He had been a fool to agree to that breakup.

And he knew that now. He would not give up on the two of them. Someday the two would be back together. Even if he had to kill to make her see that. At that thought, Oz did lose control. He wolfed out completely. And he ran into the night thinking about all the damage he could do. Too bad it wasn't to a certain blond witch.

* * *

Buffy was making her way through one of the many cemeteries that were in Sunnydale. This one was one that she frequented. Mainly because this was the one that contained a certain bleach blond vampire's crypt.

One that she now admit tingly had feelings for. But what exactly were these feelings? Were they just lusty feelings? Or were they something more. She sighed heavily as confusion was overtaking her. And that was not a good thing. She was becoming a distracted slayer. And a distracted slayer could easily become a dead slayer.

Finally, just out of habit she made her way to the very crypt that Spike had been calling a home for so long. She opened the door and walked in not even giving it a thought that he might just be back from wherever he had runoff to.

"Hey now!" That familiar deep voice startled her. "You're supposed to knock before you enter a person's home." The blond vampire made his way out of the shadows. He looked down at his hands and made a face. "Don't know if I could be called a person. After all, blood. There's bloody blood on my hands." He slowly made his way towards Buffy. "Can't you see the blood? Why won't it sodding wash off. I've tried and I've tried."

"Spike?" Buffy finally managed. This was getting strange. He was acting weird. Even for him, he was acting weird. And there was something about him. She could sense that he was different somehow. Just not sure what.

"Yeah. That's me." The vampire stopped in his tracks. "I'm bloody well still me. Bloody." He began laughing. "William the Bloody. With a vampire slayer. And not doin a thing to try and kill her. What is sodding wrong with you? You aren't the vampire you used to be. Well duh! Look at what you did. I did? Yeah. It's what you did. To make her happy. And now, you can't even talk intelligently. You were a screw up when you were a live and you are a total screw up now that you are dead. Did you think she wouldn't notice? You are different. She sees that. But she also sees the blood. The blood you spilled so many years ago. And she's scared. Scared of what you do to her kind." Spike looked at Buffy with a smile on his face. "Are you really scared luv?"

Buffy blinked. He had been making little sense before. Now he seemed totally out of his mind. And he seemed to be talking with himself. "What happened Spike? What is going on? There has to be a reason for this."

Spike shrugged his shoulders. "I sought something. To please a lady. But I don't think she likes her present. And that means all of it, the blood, the pain, the faces, everything was just a total waste. And now I'm stuck with who I am."

Buffy shook her head. "Spike, I want to help you. Please just tell me what's going on."

"Help?" Spiked laughed like a maniac. "That's funny comin from you. Since when have you wanted to help poor Spikey. Since when don't you want to stake his sorry arse into dusty oblivion?"

"I thought that we had come to a sorta of understanding." Buffy took a deep breath and stepped towards the vampire even though he seemed really unstable at the moment.

"We did." Spike turned away and ended up in the shadows again where the slayer could not see his face. She could only make out his silhouette. "You know that you could never love a monster. And that's all I am. Plain and simply a monster. Blood. I can smell it. I can see it." His blond hair popped into the dim light of the crypt. "I can taste it." He brought his head into the light and he now wore the mask of the demon. "It's what I am. It's what I do. Blood is blood. Doesn't matter how I get it as long as I get it. Blood is life. And I take life."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy took a few more steps towards Spike. "You haven't taken a life, well not human life, since you got the chip. And I think even before that you weren't exactly as evil as you could be. I mean, you did some stupid things that left big time openings for me. And you can't help what was done to you and the need for blood to survive. That's why you began drinking animal blood. Right?"

"That's what the little girl thinks, isn't that sweet." Spike now came up behind her, still wearing the look of the vampire. "You think that I've changed? That just because I have a chip in my head I won't try and kill you?"

"That's right." Buffy turned to look up at those monstrous features. "I know you. William, you've become a good man. You helped when you didn't have to. And I'm grateful. And you watched out for Willow and Tara and that almost cost you your existence." She looked up into the vampire's eyes. Even with all the rambling, with all the incoherent things he had been saying, she now knew something. It had all become so clear to her. "William the Bloody, I Buffy Summers am in love with you."

"Really?" Spike grinned an evil grin. "That will make this all that much better." He slowly bent down to her neck. She only stood there. And she didn't make a sound as his sharp teeth penetrated her neck and he began sucking her blood.


	49. 49

AN I'll try to update once a week. But no promises. Life is a lot better now. But still, life (work), gets in the way of what I like to do. And that's write. So many ideas left in the head. Just not enough time to write them down.

Buffy sat up screaming. She clutched at her neck, expecting to find the nice warmth of blood gushing down. But there was nothing. She could barely even feel the scar that had been made previously by Angel biting her and feeding off from her. All so that he could recover from what Faith and the mayor had poisoned him with.

And Faith! The blond slayer looked around. She was back in her old room. Now she remembered. She had been patrolling for the last four nights straight trying to track down the rogue slayer. But there had been no sightings of her. And that had the original slayer more than worried.

Hopping out of bed, she flashed back to her dream. But it hadn't been all a dream. Some of it had happened just four nights ago. She had come across Spike at his little mausoleum home and he had rambled on. But she had left when he had tried to come after her. And quickly apologized for doing so. She could tell that something just wasn't right with the vampire.

He had gone on about a gift for a girl. A specific girl. Her in fact. And she had told him that he loved her. That's what seemed to have set him off. Or had it? What had happened was blurring with that damn dream she had just had. And that helped matters oh so much.

Life was complicated enough when she didn't have those damn slayer dreams to confuse the hell out of her. She sighed heavily and made her way to the bathroom. She could hear her mother already down in the kitchen probably making breakfast for the two of them. That was not something she was looking forward to.

Ever since she had moved back into the house, her mother and her had been distant. In part it was because her mother still wasn't too thrilled with the fact that she was the slayer. And now, she had told her that Faith was back. And that was an even more sore subject than ever.

Buffy sighed as she felt the warm water spray down on her. It felt refreshing and for a moment made her forget about the fact that her mother was downstairs probably waiting to make a point about how Faith was just misunderstood and that they should all give her a chance. And for some reason, whenever the slayer mentioned Spike's name, her mother quickly changed the subject.

The blond knew that her mother was partly right about Faith. After what Willow and Tara had told everyone about their encounter with the rogue slayer, she had to admit that there was the possibility that the dark haired slayer was actually just confused. Or could it be that she was being used again?

With that black mark in her aura that Tara had spotted, it was a very strong possibility. And there was more. Every time either of the two witches tried to do a locator spell, it came up as if the rogue slayer didn't exist. Even she wasn't that good at hiding out.

The shower spray turned cold and quickly lost the comfort it had once held for the confused slayer. So many conflicting emotions at the moment. What was a girl to do? Correction. What was a slayer to do? Even with friends and a watcher, she still was the one that had to make the tough choices.

As she dried off with a towel, she remembered one of her hardest choices she had ever faced. And that was when she had had to stab Angel with the sword to prevent the end of the world. At that time, she had loved him more than anything in the world. And it had driven her to cut herself off from her friends and family.

Looking back, that was the worse choice that she had ever made in her life. Not the killing Angel part, but the no friends no family thing. She was one of the few slayers ever to have friends that could and did help. And her mom had been there for her before that.

Slowly, she got dressed and made her way downstairs. When she got there, there was already pancakes on the table for her. But instead of finding her mother, she found a short note 'got a doctor's appointment this morning. Just routine stuff. Talk with you later. Love, mom' Buffy stared at the note. Doctor? Her mother never got sick. And even when she did, she never went to the doctors.

A huge sigh escaped the slayer. Just another thing to add to the list of worriments that seemed to be getting longer and longer everyday. The phone rang startling her so much that she jumped literally in the air.

Her hand shout out and grabbed the phone. "Giles? Any news?"

"Umm, it's Willow, not Giles." The witch's voice sounded very worried. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there have been some murders last night. Some that fit into the 'torn apart unlikely to be a vampire possibly a human murderess or..."

"What?" Buffy didn't like how her friend just stopped there. "There's something more. What is it?"

"Just meet us at Giles'" Willow sighed not liking what she was thinking. "I don't want to have to repeat what I'm thinking."

Anya was the only member of the scoobies not in attendance. Xander had said something about a disagreement over bunnies. None of the others could really understand what he was talking about.

All of them gathered were checking out the gory details. Two women that very much fit a certain blond were the victims. It had a certain redhead more than freaking out. What if there was someone out there targeting her wife.

"What is giving you this vibe?" Buffy was pacing back and forth. She was trying to concentrate on the here and now. But with Faith still out there and a vampire that she was in love with acting all crazy, things were not going well for her.

"Well, for the past four days both me and Tara have felt like someone is following us." Willow held on to her lover's hand very tightly. The thought of losing the witch was way to much for her to even fathom. "And before you say it, we don't think it's Faith. Tara would be able to sense her, cause of the whole reading her aura thing."

"Whoever this is is familiar to me." Tara sighed. "But not familiar enough. Faith, well when I read her it gave me a real feel for her. But this person is someone that I haven't dealt with much in the past." She couldn't help but think it was one certain person. And she knew her wife thought the same thing. And that person in a certain form could mutilate bodies.

Buffy stopped pacing and looked at both witches. "And let me guess, there's no spell that you can think of to help us out, right?" There was an edge of anger to her voice.

Willow stood up. She knew that the anger wasn't directed at her or Tara. But it was still a lot of anger that she felt and heard. "Buffy, is there something wrong? Besides the whole we've got a new bad guy in town. Did something happen?" The redhead slowly made her way to stand in front of the blond.

"Oh, Will! I'm sorry." She looked over at Tara. "I'm sorry to you as well. That was kinda bitchy the way I said that." She turned back to Willow. "I guess there is something I need to share with everyone. You see, I ran into Spike that first night that we were looking for Faith. And well, he was acting sorta crazy. I don't know what was with him. And it was like he couldn't control himself. And than, I had this dream. It was so much like what happened. The two are kinda getting mixed up. But what's bad about the dream, Spike could bite me and not have his chip go off. I mean, that's really bad."

Giles put down the book that he had been skimming through while listening to the whole exchange. "What? You bloody well should have told us this. Perhaps Spike is back to his old ways. That could very well be why you dreamed that he was able to bite you. There is a distinct possibility that he is the one murdering blonds." He looked over at Tara. "Could these blond's be a representation of Buffy?"

Tara shrugged. "All the police know for sure is that they were blonds. Other than that, they aren't even sure who they are. They are beyond recognition." She swallowed hard, trying to keep the tears from falling.

Willow quickly came over and engulfed her in a hug. She knew that Tara wasn't so scared for herself. She was sad that these innocent girls had been murdered. Either because possibly of her or of Buffy. Either way, it wasn't a happy scenario.

Buffy stared at Giles. "I really don't think it's Spike. He isn't capable of doing these things. Not anymore."

"Are you that blinded by your feelings?" Xander's harsh tone surprised everyone and garnered their stares. He ignored them and continued. "I've seen how you look at him. I know that you have feelings for him. He's a killer Buffy with a chip that keeps those homicidal tendencies in check."

"Xander." Willow's quiet voice made him look at her. "That's enough. You have no right to talk that harshly to her." Xander started to say something but she shot him a look and he quickly shut up. She turned towards Buffy with a look of sympathy on her face. "I don't want to sound like I'm ganging up on you, but it has happened before. You letting your feelings get in the way of your judgement. And leading to not so good choices. And before you say anything, I've done the same thing. So I understand. But I just want you to think."

Buffy closed her eyes. Tears were near, she knew that. But she couldn't let them fall. Not now. There was too much at stake for her to give into those damn silly emotions. Emotions only got in the way of a slayer doing her job well. And that could lead to early retirement, slayer style.

"Buffy." Giles' gentle voice penetrated her thoughts. "I believe you when you say Spike is good. Or used to be. But we all know how easy it is to be influenced. Especially since we are on the hellmouth. Could that be what it is?"

The slayer shrugged. "There's only one way to find out."

"Buff, you've got to be kidding." Xander came and stood in the way of the door. "You can't be thinking about going and seeing Captain Peroxide. That's just crazy."

"Xander, get out of my way." To let him have time to move, she turned back to Giles and the two witches. "I want you guys researching this. See if there are any demons that fit this profile. And maybe try and figure out how to find Faith. I know we've had problems with the magicks. Try and think of another way if you can. I'm going to talk to Spike. By myself." She turned around to find Xander still in her way. "Either move or I will move you. And I'm not in the best of moods at the moment Xander so I'd just keep that in mind."

Xander sighed. "Fine. At least let me come with you. Just for the company."

"No." Buffy started towards the door and Xander slowly moved out of the way. "This is something that I have to do alone. Whether you can understand that or not."

Spike sat all alone in his crypt. It was daylight out and that was of the bad. But what was worse, the blood. Everywhere he looked there was blood. It made his stomach ache just thinking about it. And he would partake of none.

He had made a promise that after he did what he did, he would no longer harm any living thing. Not unless he was protecting innocents. And especially if he was protecting a certain girl.

His mind flashed to the recurring nightmare that he had been having the past four nights. His ramblings kept going and going. And what was worse, the end of it. He bit the girl. The one that he had gone through all that pain and agony for. But it was worth it. Cause one day he could possibly be worthy of the love that she had declared.

But not yet. There was still just too much blood. Blood on his hands. Blood on his chest. He licked his lips. Blood. And of the human variety. How the hell had that happened? When had he? Another flash of memory. There was a girl. A blond. And than, you couldn't recognize her anymore. And there was blood. All over her and the ground and him. God! What had he done?


	50. 50

AN Thanks for the reviews. You guys are always so kind. I'll try and keep up the pace of my story. Think I got it worked out.

Buffy almost screamed as she came upon the scene. After five years of being the slayer, she had seen some horrific sights. But none like this. This was simply too much even for her. This must be yet another of the girls that had been ravaged.

There was just a faint part of the hair that was not blood soaked. She swallowed hard as she saw that the girl had at one time been a blond. More of a connection. But to who? Could it be Tara? No. More likely this was the work of one psycho slayer named Faith. But it couldn't be William. No. Her William would never do that in a million years.

In her rush to get to the vampire, she hadn't realized how close she really was to the vampire's crypt. And that was sad. Or whatever. Because she had feelings. Or did she.

The slayer shook her head and made her way to the crypt. Spike would be inside seeing that it was still daylight and still quite sunny in Sunnydale. She was about to open the door when something knocked her to the ground.

"I did it." She looked up at the figure who was beginning to smoke. "I'm the one. I should be punished. I'm a bad, bad man. I need to be punished."

"Spike!" Buffy shouted and grabbed his arm and threw him into his crypt where he slowly quit smoking. "What the hell are you doing? And what the hell are you talking about?" Her eyes widened as she realized that he was covered by blood. "What did you do?"

The vampire cowered on the floor. He would not even look at the blond. "I did that. To a blond. A precious blond. She's taken from her family. Never more to be seen." He stood up and came at her quickly. "I did this! Do you see what I've done! I can't believe you don't see."

Buffy shook her head. "I only see that you've got blood on you. What is it that you've done, William."

With that, the vampire broke into tears. "William." He whispered his own name. "Isn't alive anymore. Been replaced by Spike, a killer, a demon." His eyes met hers. "Rapist." A lewd smile came across his face. "That's what's left. There is no William here anymore. The blood has seen to that."

The slayer sighed. What the hell had happened that had made him so damn crazy. He never made sense anymore. And this time it was even harder to follow. "How did the blood get there, William." She made sure to say his name.

"He doesn't exist!!" Spike came to stand within inches of her. "If he did, you would be safe. The girls would be safe. But he no longer exists. And so, move along little girl." He ripped his shirt off and thrust a stake into her hand. "Or better yet, why don't you kill the demon. Kill him. And make sure that no one else will ever have to deal with the likes of him."

Buffy glanced at the stake before she threw it to the ground. "I'm not gonna do that. Did you kill the girl outside?"

Spike nodded. "Think I did. All I remember is the girl, than all that blood. But I didn't take a drop of it. That I remember. Cause I made a promise a long time ago. And now, I truly mean to keep it. So I did no samplin."

"You don't remember killing the girl?" Buffy was surprised to say the least.

"No." Spike put his head in his hands. "All I remember is the girl. Than nothing. Than the blood. Lots of blood."

"I see." Something was beginning to click. Spike had come across the girl. But someone had probably knocked him out. And they had done this terrible thing to the girl. "Spike, I don't think you hurt the girl. But I think I know who did. And I'll kill her so that it will stop."

Faith moved about the cold caverns. She was barely able to stay awake at this point. She hadn't eaten since she had escaped from the hospital. And that was already over a week. But she had managed to find a little spring in this monstrous cave that someone could very easily get lost in.

Lost. That was the best way to describe her. Or was it mental. One moment she felt like her old self. In the way that when she first came to Sunnydale and the gang had welcomed her with open arms. A little jealousy from the original slayer, but still. And than, she just felt like ripping things to shreds. Just like she had that demon. It felt so good. No reason to deny it. And than there was that time with the arrow and Angel and the pain and agony that it had caused B.

And let's face it, those moments were the ones that stood out for the dark slayer. And she didn't like that fact. Not one bit at all. And the conflict was getting overwhelming to say the least. Her head was pounding. Pounding so hard that everything started spinning. And soon became darkness.

When she opened her eyes, a very familiar figure stood before her. He wore that same smile that he always did. "Boss?"

"Well gwillikers it's good to see you." The mayor smiled even bigger at the dark slayer. "It's been a long time, now hasn't it Faith?"

"What the..." She looked around her. It was this white room. It even had little white chairs. "Where the hell am I? Did I die or something?"

"Language." The smile faded for a moment. But it grew big again. "Of course you're not dead. But I am. And you know why I'm dead, now don't you."

Faith shook her head. There was this ringing in her ears. Something just didn't feel right about this whole situation. For one, she was talking to a dead man. And two, she felt that she couldn't trust him. And than, the feelings began. The ones that just simply wanted her to find the whole scooby gang and fillet them one at a time.

"That's the feeling you should be following." The mayor stepped closer to the slayer. "You shouldn't be giving into the weak feelings. You are stronger when you take control. And when you make those that hurt you pay."

Faith looked at him. And it all started to make sense. Why she was torn. Why she had always been torn. But she didn't want her former boss knowing that. Hopefully he couldn't read minds. "And that's what I was just thinking." Her smiled turned back to the one that she had when she had held Willow at knife point. "They all need to have some pain in their lives. All of them have had it way to easy for way too long."

"That's my girl." The mayor smiled. "Now, what's my girl gonna do to make those goody two shoes pay?"

Now her smile turned into a smirk. "Just wait and see, boss. You won't be disappointed in the least."

"Willow, we have to talk about this." Tara sat on the couch in their apartment. After Buffy had left, there was no reason to stay. They had researched all they could. And Giles was handling making calls to whoever would still give him the time of day.

"You know I don't really want to." Willow was on her way back from the kitchen with sodas for both of them. "I don't want to think it's him."

Tara shook her head. "Listen, Sweetie. I don't want to think it's him either. That's why I didn't say anything at the scooby meeting. But after what he almost did to me, how can we not at least think that it might be him."

Willow sighed as she sat down next to her wife. Those blue eyes were full of pain. She hated to think of anyone doing bad things and it hurt, the redhead knew this about her girl. And loved her that much more for it. "But the attacks happened during the day." It was a weak attempt.

"And it wasn't day when he attacked me?" Tara smiled sadly. "Sweetie, I know he was your first love. But it is possible that people change. Look at you. Look at me."

The redhead smiled. When she had first met Tara, both were rather shy. And Tara had had that cute little stuttering problem. They had grown so much in the now year and a half that they had known each other. And had faced death together on several occasions. That had brought them closer as well.

"We both went through a lot." Tara took her wife's hand in her own. "Is it a happy thought that Oz could be doing this? Hardly. But maybe something happened to him. Maybe he's not in as much control as we think. Maybe the wolf part has taken over more than we thought."

Willow sighed. Just having the touch of Tara brought her so much comfort. Especially right now when things were not going well. Four girls dead. How many more would there be before they could stop whoever it is. "You really sure it's not Faith?"

Tara nodded. She knew that Willow was about to agree. She just had to make one more stab at releasing the guilt. "I'm not sure that it isn't her. But I get the feeling that she's going through something right now. And well, I don't think she has the capacity at the moment to really do this."

Willow shrugged. "I guess. She was pretty out of it." The redhead leaned her head on the blond's shoulder. "Have I told you how much I love you today?"

Tara smiled. "Only once or twice. But that doesn't mean I don't love to hear it."

"We've got to tell the others." Willow looked into those blue eyes. "We have to tell them that we suspect Oz. Although, they might not just like it."

Xander and Anya had made up shortly after the scooby meeting had gotten over. They were now strolling through the park hand in hand. There was mostly just silence between the two young lovers. All that had needed to be said was said earlier.

The sun shown down brightly on them, although it was starting to set. The light brightened everything in the park. It showed the many lovers enjoying picnics. It showed the kids running and playing and in general having fun.

It was a very peaceful and tranquil day in Sunnydale. Besides the murders that had been happening, things had been quiet before that. Just a vampire here and there and a couple of demons here and there. But no major baddies. The only thing on the twosomes mind was getting back to Xander's apartment and making up all over again.

That's when a blond woman walked passed them. Xander's eyes followed as the woman was rather attractive and wearing nothing more than tight shorts and tank top. Anya smacked his arm which brought his attention back to her. He smiled his goofy smile.

Until he heard the growl. It didn't take long for both to turn around to see what was going on. It was an all too gruesome sight. Flesh was being shredded and thrown around. Blood was everywhere all ready. All those in the park were screaming and heading for their cars or simply running for their lives.

The two stood frozen. They knew it was too late to save that poor girl. The blond girl. "I think we know who the attacker is."

Xander's voice drew the attention of whatever it was that had just completely mutilated the blond. It stared at them for a moment like it recognized them. Than it began to charge them.

"Run!" Xander and Anya both took off. They could hear the growls as the thing kept coming faster and faster. "A car. Why didn't we take my car."

They were both out of breath. Xander knew that they couldn't keep up the pace much longer. Plus the growls were coming closer and closer to them. There was something that they had to do. He looked around and saw The Magic Box. He and Willow had gone a few times since it had changed ownership. If there was one place that was a safe haven in town, that might just be it. He dragged Anya in that direction. They both came to a stop in front of the door. He tried the handle. It was locked. And the growls were almost right on top of them.


	51. 51

AN As always, thanks for the reviews. Sorry to be only updating once a week. Working a lot of hours right now. But here's more, so hope you forgive me.

Spike collapsed to the floor of the crypt. The words the lady had said. It wasn't his fault. He wasn't the one that had hurt the girl. That it was someone else. But that just couldn't be. He had seen. He had heard. And he had smelled the blood.

He looked up at the girl. The one that he had done all of this for. She stood by him now. She believed in him so much. But how could she do that. After all, he was a killer. Or at least there was still the demon inside that was a killer. Didn't care if you was good or bad. Only cared that it got what it wanted.

And he could feel the war raging inside of him. His soul was fighting a brave battle. Keeping him from doing the things that the demon wanted him to do. But it also was hurting him. There was pain from the constant battles.

Sometimes he felt like taking a knife and carving up his chest. Carving so that he could rip out his soul. The pain. The memories. The things that he had done. It was all too much at times. Hell, all of the time.

And than, there was the girl. He managed to look into those eyes of hers. He could still see it. Even though he had put her through so much when the demon was in control. Even after he had the chip, he was not a good man. He only fell in with the slayer because he could harm no humans.

And than, a funny thing happened. It had become more than just doing cause he couldn't hurt anyone, well, besides demons. That thing was so simply amazing. Love. It was the first time in his existence that he could say he actually felt love. There had been Cesely in life. And Drusilla in death. But nothing had felt like this. This was love.

So he did what he thought he should. He should become the man that she deserved. And look at him. He was now a raving maniac. That was so unfair. It wasn't right. The girl deserved someone that could be there for her. Someone that could love her whole like. And that wasn't him. He wasn't a whole man. And he never would be one.

"William?" Buffy had been about to leave. She so wanted to track down Faith more than ever. She needed to get that girl under lock and key. Even if she weren't the one doing the killings, it would be safer for all if she were not roaming the streets. "Are you all right?"

A smile was quickly on the vampire's face. All right? That was a silly question. He hadn't been all right since he had fallen in love with the girl. And now that he had his soul back, it was that much more confusing and painful.

"Hardly, pet." He had a smile on his face. It lasted only a minute. Cause that's when the flash hit him. A flash of memory of the night before and the blond. It knocked him on his back. "Pain!" He held his head with his hands. "The pain!"

"William!" Buffy got down on her knees. She placed one hand on his chest and another on his cheek. "What's wrong? You said that there is pain. Where?"

"In me head." Blood started to drip from his nose. It was becoming far too much for him. "I remember. It wasn't me. It was..." He trailed off into unconsciousness.

Faith walked right into the Summers' house. The door had been locked, but who cared, right? Slayer strength came in handy in so many ways. And this was important what she had to do. It would make her boss proud.

Or would it. The rogue slayer looked around the house that she had been invited to without even question. She flashed back to the first time that she had been there. She had had dinner with Buffy and her mom.

Mrs. Summers. Now there was a lady that anybody would love. She was understanding and yet tough as nails. You knew she cared just by the tone in her voice and the look in her eye. And she had cared for Faith right away.

That made Faith angry. Why did she have to have thoughts like that? It wouldn't make things easier. Or would it? Her head hurt so bad. Partly from thinking what she had to. And partly because she still hadn't eaten.

So, she made her way to the kitchen. As usual, the fridge was well stocked with food. And leftover pizza. She took out the pizza and began scarfing it down, not bothering to heat it up. It wasn't long and she had that gone. She noticed a cookie jar on the counter and snagged a few.

She was eating the cookies as she made her way upstairs. As she made it to Buffy's room, she had another flash of memory. It was after she had teamed up with the mayor. They had tried to turn Angel into Angelus. But he had none of it. So they had used that magick guy. And she had stood here with 'Angelus' tricking Buffy into coming with them. When the whole time, it was Buffy and Angel that had been playing her.

The room still looked the same. Although, you could tell that B hadn't been here in a while. Must be the college thing keeping her away from her mother.

And that was a good thing for the slayer. It worked so well on so many levels. This was the perfect plan. All she had to do was set it up. And the girl was good at getting what she wanted. Always had, always would be.

The slayer shoved the last of the cookies into her mouth and made her way to Joyce's room. She smiled as she thought of Joyce and how she had insisted that she call her that. She had to be the coolest woman alive. It was truly a shame, now wasn't it.

She hadn't really been in the room before. But that didn't mean anything. The full sized bed looked comfy. So comfy. The slayer hadn't realized just how tired she was at that moment. But she could not allow herself to sleep. Not until her plan was put into action. Than she could maybe, just maybe, let her defenses down for a moment.

That's when she heard the front door open. As quickly and as quietly as she could, she made her way to the closet. It was the perfect place to put her plan into action.

"Buffy?" Joyce's voice rang out. "Did you forget your keys again? I wish you wouldn't do that to the lock. Now I'm gonna have to buy a new one."

That voice! Faith closed her eyes for a moment. Again, thousands of memories flooded her. The one person that had truly cared about her no matter what was this woman. The sweetest most caring woman on the face of the earth. One that wasn't judgmental or anything. And she was about to do what to the lady.

She heard the slow steps as Joyce came up the stairs. There was a pause at Buffy's door before she continued on to her own room. This was it. She just had to have the guts to do what she had to do.

Joyce made her way over to the bed and picked up the phone. Before she had a chance to dial, Faith was out of the closet. She knocked the phone to the bed. There was fear instantly in the woman's eyes that she held in such high esteem. Justifiable fear. After all, she was a slayer and capable of so much.

"Hello Joyce." Faith pulled out a knife from her back pocket. "It's nice to see you again."

Joyce collapsed to the bed. "It's nice to see you too, Faith. I really missed you. Well, until you went all psycho and tried to kill my daughter."

Faith was in front of her in an instant, holding the knife blade at her throat. "I'm not the one that gutted and left the other to die. I think you forget that she's the one that tried to kill me. And you know what?" An evil smile formed on her face.

"I think I know." Joyce held her head high."

"Payback's a bitch." The steel blade glided across Joyce's throat. "And I owe a lot."

"You sure that we should stop before we get back to Giles'" Tara asked. "I mean, we don't really need this stuff. And I think we really need to round up the gang. They all need to know that Oz just might be the problem."

"It can wait." Willow took Tara's hand in her own. "And before you say I'm going all avoidy here, I'm not. Buffy's off finding Faith. And we don't have anyway of contacting her. She so needs to get a cell phone. And Xander and Anya, who knows what they are up to. They probably already made up and are well, you know. Not that Giles probably isn't there and waiting for any information that he can get. We have plenty of time."

Tara smiled. She really knew that Willow was stalling. And she couldn't blame her. Who would want to admit that their first love was going around killing people just because he couldn't have her. Even if it was while he was in wolf form.

The two walked slowly and in silence. They were just enjoying each other's company at the moment. Not that they didn't spend a lot of alone time together. It was just nice to be with one another. Even with evil brewin and all.

"Hey guys." Both women stopped in their tracks as a familiar person made his way in front of them. "Hope you don't mind me bein in town after what happened."

Willow smiled big. "Oz! You know that you and I are friends. And that we will always be friends. So that's of the good right there. What have you been up to?"

"I've been staying at Devon's." The werewolf looked at Tara and smiled. A rarity indeed. "He's agreed to let me back into Dingoes. And that means I'll be staying for awhile. Might even get back into the college thing. If that's all right with you two." He now looked at Willow.

"Hey, no problems here." Willow let go of Tara's hand and gave him a big hug. "I have missed you. And as long as you can keep the werewolf inside, I'm happy to have you around. If things hadn't worked out the way they had with me discovering I was gay and all, I would so be with you still. And there is a part of me that will always love you."

Again, a smile formed on his face. Another rarity. But it was nice that they could still be friends. At least, it would work to his advantage that the two could think that they could still be friends.

"The same goes for me." Tara blushed a little. "Well, you know what I mean with the being happy that you are staying and all. From what I've heard, you're a great guy and I'd like to consider you my friend as well."

Willow now stepped back from Oz. Oz held out his hand and Tara took it in her own. "I'd like that. Good friends are hard to come by."

They were all startled by the scream. It was a girly type scream. And there was growling. It was coming from around the corner. Probably not far from The Magic Box.

"Sounds like someone's in trouble." Willow said as she took off running. Oz and Tara were right behind her. They practically ran into her as she stopped suddenly. "God! Xander!"

Xander and Anya were backed against the door of The Magic Box. There was some type of beast trying to get at them. The claws were coming dangerously close. And the teeth. They didn't have much time to act or the two would definitely not survive.

Willow began running again. She took Tara's hand in her own out of instinct. Both began saying a spell. They were still several feet away when they finished. And when they did, the beasty thing went flying.

When the three got to where Anya and Xander were still pressed against the door, Willow joked, "I thought I recognized that scream."

"Very funny Will." Xander stared at the still form of the hairy beast as it lay unmoving on the ground. "We've got to get that thing somewhere and fast. It just killed a blond woman."

"And than attacked us." Anya clutched tightly to Xander. "It's not very nice. I don't like it. It made Xander scream like a girl."

Xander shook his head. "And the humiliations just keep on a coming." He sighed heavily.

Oz took a step back. "I can't believe it." He was suddenly very pale looking.

Willow turned to her ex. "What's the matter?" He didn't say anything but continued to stare at the demon or whatever it was on the ground. She looked back at it. Her face also paled. "I.."

"What's up you two?" Xander looked from Oz and than to Willow. "You recognize the beast?"

"Yeah." Willow swallowed hard. "And you should too, Xander. After all, you helped take care of Oz when he was wolfed out." Xander's eyes widened in realization. This was the werewolf Oz lying on the ground. But how could that be? The Oz that it was supposed to be a part of was standing before them.


	52. 52

AN Thanks for still reading. This is a lot longer than I originally planned. And longer than most of my stories. So, forgive me when I say I'm running out of steam. But I think I have a new idea that you guys will love. Hope anyways.

Her hand was shaking. It was so weird. Why was her hand shaking. She just couldn't figure it out. This used to come so easy and so naturally. But something was now holding her back. And to make things worse, her stomach was hurting. And it wasn't the lousy pizza she had just eaten. No, it was the thought of causing this wonderful woman any pain.

The knife fell to the floor with a rather dull thud. Her hands continued to shake. In an instant, her knees gave out and she was sitting on the floor. Her head was resting on the bed. The pain in her stomach was too much. And tears slowly began to fall from bloodshot eyes.

"Faith?" Joyce Summers went to the rogue slayer. Even though she knew that the girl was very dangerous, she could not help but do what she did next. She sat on the floor next to her. She put her hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"

Faith looked into the older woman's eyes. She laughed hysterically for a moment. The slayer stopped when she saw the fear in those caring eyes. "I'm way beyond not being all right, Mrs. S. I, well, you see." She looked away, not being able to put into words what she was feeling. Because the truth of the matter was that she did not know what she was feeling or what was going on with her.

Joyce's motherly instincts kicked in. She pulled the vulnerable young woman into a hug. "You've gone down a bad path and are lost. Let me and Buffy help you find your way back."

The rogue slayer pushed Joyce away at the mention of the blond slayer. "That's not an option!" An evil grin came across Faith's face. I have to complete this I have to do what he wants me to do. The boss wants me to take out Buffy. And that's what I plan to do." Faith grabbed the knife from the floor. She pointed it at Joyce. "I think I'll start with you and the messages that I intended to send to her."

"Faith! Please!" Joyce sat back against the bed. The phone was on the floor on the other side of the bed. She was defenseless against the slayer.

Faith looked her up and down. She noticed the red mark on her neck from where just moments ago she had held the knife and began running it against it. There were even hints of little trickles of blood. "What have I done!" Again, the knife in her hand began to shake. There were these images in her head of Joyce lying bloody and carved up. It was like something was telling her to finish what she had started. But that wasn't right. None of the killing she had done while working for the mayor had been right. And now, she was supposed to take out the kindest, sweetest most loving woman she had ever known.

Joyce stood up and watched as the rogue slayer seemed to be frozen to the spot. Like something was holding her back. Slowly, she inched towards where the phone lay. She didn't want any sudden movements to upset the rogue slayer.

Faith continued to stare into space. At least, that's how it appeared to Joyce. But in reality, she was watching this slide show in her head. Choices. It had all come down to the choices that she had made. She had used her beyond sucky childhood as an excuse to choose to be wild and reckless. And that had lead to the defining moment in her life. The killing of the deputy mayor.

But what was worse, were her actions afterwards. She had friends at that point. It was true that none of the scooby gang and herself had ever been really close. But she still could have gone to them. Buffy had tried her hardest to help her. But she had shot her down. Every single time. Xander had come to her and even tried. And she had nearly killed him. Choices. They define who we are. But can those things be reversed? Can she make the choice and become a good person again?

Joyce now had the phone in her hand. She had started to dial 911. But something stopped her. Something was telling her that the confused young woman in front of her needed some help. And the police were not the ones that could give it to her. So, she dialed another number that was familiar to her. Giles answered. All she managed was, "Faith is here," before the line went dead. She hoped that he would come soon. But she also hoped that he would come with the thoughts of help.

Buffy hadn't wanted to leave Spike in the condition he was in. After all, the vampire that she was in love with had tried to commit suicide by running out in the daylight. And he was still having the babblefests. And not the cute ones that her bestest friend Willow would have from time to time.

Her thoughts were on him. She tried to make sure that she was paying attention to her surroundings. After all, there was still a rogue slayer that she had to be searching for. Faith had to be the one that was doing all the killing. Blonds only. It just had to be her. There was no other possibility.

That's when Giles' old Citron nearly ran her over. Well, it nearly bumped into her and she nearly totaled it. "Giles!" That's when her watcher slammed on the breaks.

"Get in! Now!" Giles opened the door for her. "We've got a possible situation. One that requires a slayer. Faith is at your house with your mother."

"What!" Buffy was nearly thrown out of the car Giles turned the corner so fast. "Move this piece of junk. I could walk faster then you are moving. Step on it Giles!"

Giles could hear the tone in Buffy's voice. He knew that she would hit first and ask questions later. He had to stop her. Because if she did that, she could be the next to go down a dark path like Faith. "We just have to get her under control. I don't want you doing anything foolish."

Buffy shot him a warning look. It wasn't long and they would be at her house. "Look, I'll wait and see what the situation is. But if Faith is up to her old tricks, I'm gonna punch first. I'm not taking chances. Not when my mom's life is at stake."

"I understand how you feel." Giles sighed. "But please do be careful. Remember what lead Faith down the path that she is now on. I don't wish to see you go down that path." He hesitated for a moment. "I care for you too much."

That made Buffy look at him. Giles was the stuffy man from England. Plus he was her watcher. He had never said that he had cared. Granted, there were other things that told her that he cared. The smallest of things. But she knew but didn't know. Not until that very moment.

The car jolted to a stop in front of her house. Before Giles could even open his door, she was out and running. The front door was locked so she kicked the thing out of her way. Her instincts told her to make it to her mom's room.

When she got there, Joyce stood on the far side of the bed. Faith stood closer to the doorway and Buffy. Faith still had the knife in her hand. And the hand was still shaking. The blond noticed the red mark on her mom's neck. A fist was immediately at her right side.

But it relaxed when she noticed her mother shake her head. Slowly, Buffy made her way into the room. Giles now stood in the doorway, watching silently as the blond slayer made her way to stand in front of the rogue slayer. "Faith?"

Faith immediately snapped out of the world that she had been trapped in. The knife immediately raised as if she was going to strike her down. Instead, it fell to the floor with a resounding thud. Tears again formed in the rogue slayer's eyes. "I can't. No more. Too many lives." Buffy did what she thought she had to do. She took Faith into a hug and let her cry.

Ayna, Xander, Willow, Tara, and Oz had managed to tie up the werewolf Oz. Not that they wanted him there, but the two wiccans agreed that theirs was the safest place. After all, they were the ones that had the magick to protect themselves. The werewolf Oz was well sedated at this point and locked in their spare room.

The five now sat in various spots around the living room. Oz kept staring into space. Finally, he startled everyone by speaking. "I never thought that this would happen." He looked at Willow and Tara. "After what happened with you two, I knew I had to do something. If it could come out during the day, than something had to be done."

"What did you do?" Willow was holding Tara's hand tightly.

"I found someone. A magick guy. Named Rack. Said he could help." Oz swallowed before going on. "I never about the fact that there are always consequences."

Willow nodded. "Yeah, the biggest thing to remember about any kind of magick is that there is a price. Usually it just drains the energy of the person performing it. But when darker magicks are involved, well, things get a little more complicated. And in this case, I'd say very complicated."

"Yeah." Oz sighed. "I have to admit. I did this because I still wanted you back." His eyes met with emerald green ones. "I know now that it was for selfish reasons. That probably didn't help matters either."

"No." Willow smiled sadly. "If ones intentions are not true, than it does have side effects." They sat in silence for a moment. "I'm just wondering how this guy Rack did this. Because I was under the impression that the werewolf was a part of you. I'd read and read on how to help you control or even to get rid of the wolfy side of you. And everything I read said that you two are one and had to keep being as one."

Oz looked worried. "I think everyone should get out. And get out now!"

They stared at him. That's when the door to the spare room exploded. The werewolf Oz had broken through several layers of chains. And somehow had come around from being well tranquilized. The werewolf came right at Willow and Tara. Claws ready to strike the blond down.


	53. 53

AN I know. Lots of twists and turns. But I gotta keep you guys interested somehow. Here's another. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Appreciate any feedback you wanna give.

"What have you done to yourself my sweet?" Spike looked up. He must be hallucinating. She couldn't really be here, now could she? It must be more of his nightmares/daymares that he now constantly had. "You've forgotten me?"

Spike shook his head. He knew who. He just couldn't understand how she had come back. Not now. Why? "Are you really here? Or are you all in my mind?"

Laughter. Insane laughter. "Spikey, how dare you talk to me like that. I've always been real. Might not seemed like it, but I have been. And I've come to help you. You need my help."

"Drusilla, you are the last person that I need help from." Spike turned his back on his sire. "I need to understand what I've done to myself." He turned back around to face her. "You are the last person to help me. I need someone. Someone that understands and can help me."

The female vampire shook her head. "Angel will not come. He wants nothing to do with you. You have gone and done something that he wished he could do so long ago. But that's not the big picture. The big picture is that you have to rid yourself. Rid of all the burning."

The blond vampire looked up at Drusilla. "I really don't think so, pet. I fought hard to get back what is mine. And I'm not about to just throw that away. I will keep it. And I will live with it."

"Even with the blood that you shed?" Drusilla laughed at the look of horror on the one that she had sired. "You are covered with blood. I can see it. You took the life of the one. And that was why you had the burning inside of you."

Spike growled and morphed into that of the vampire. "Get the hell out of here! Before I lose what's left of my sanity and decide to stake you right here and now."

Drusilla shrugged. "All right, Spike. I'll leave you. For now. But you can't deny what you are. You are evil. Even with that thing burning so brightly inside of you, it is blood that gives you life and that you so crave. And that my young vampire is what this is all about." She smiled before turning to walk out of the crypt.

Spike held his hand against his head. Was she right? Was all that he had done in vain? He sighed. He knew that there was one way that he could prove himself. And that was to prove himself to the one person that mattered.

The vampire picked up a sword and a stake. He looked outside. Twilight had come. And that was enough for him to be free to roam around. He would make this little town safe for those to walk in. Or he'd die trying.

Not much time had passed since Faith had broken down in the slayer's arms. She had carried her to the bed. They sat there, the blond's arms still wrapped around her tightly. Buffy looked at Giles who only shrugged.

Tears had begun falling immediately. And they just would not stop falling. In all the time that the blond had known the rogue slayer, she had never seen her like this. It was almost too much for her to handle.

Finally, the tears didn't stop, but they did slow down. She pulled out of the embrace and wiped at her own tears. "I'm sorry B for all of this. I..." Her eyes found Joyce's. "I almost..."

"Faith, it's all right." There was that warm and soothing voice of Buffy's mom. And so forgiving. Just moments before the slayer had held a knife to her throat.

"No it's not!" Faith stood up quickly as did Buffy. "All the things I've done the past three years. Well, a year of it doesn't count cause in a coma. But all those things I did and in such a short time. And now, I almost killed..."

Buffy stepped closer to the rogue slayer. "But you didn't. You could have. For whatever reason, you managed to contain yourself. Do you know what's going on?"

Faith shook her head. "I woke up. I wandered around for a while learning about what was now going on in Sunnydale. Lots happened in such a short time. And then, something came to me. I don't know if I was actually seeing it or dreaming it. I saw, the mayor." Tears still fell silently down her already wet cheeks.

Buffy looked at Giles before looking back at Faith. "You do know that we defeated the mayor. And he's, well, dead."

"Yeah." Faith nodded. "I got that. One of the first things I learned that bossman wasn't bossman anymore." She looked into confused eyes. "But that's a good thing. I mean, he planned on at the very least destroying Sunnydale. And you know those demons, B. They'll keep going to they've conquered the world."

There was even more confusion on the blond slayer's face. "You are now fighting on the side of good again I take it?"

"Yeah." Faith sighed. "If it'll have me back. Some of the things I did. It was just totally not of the good. I mean, look at what I almost did here. Boy did I make some lousy choices over the years."

"That's a given." Buffy smiled as Faith looked a little surprise by her bluntness. "But that doesn't mean that you can't either change the things you've done or try and make up for them. It can be done. And you are still a slayer. That means that you have a calling. That you are a chosen one just like me."

That brought a little bit of a smile onto Faith's face. "That would be sweet, B." Faith looked at Joyce. The one that had been more of a mother than her own. She still couldn't believe that she almost killed her. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Summers. That's just lame but it's all I can say. I never should have tried to kill you. And that sounds just crazy."

Joyce came closer to the rogue slayer. "Faith, I've already said that it is all right. I don't know exactly what you are going through, but I'm sure that after being in a coma for so long, everything is confusing. And of course, all that you went through before that."

Giles had taken in all of this in total silence. "We do have one problem."

Buffy looked at her watcher. "What would that be?"

"The police are after a girl that fits Faith's description." Giles watched Faith's face for any signs of reaction. "It's jut for questioning in the case of the death of the deputy mayor. But it will be hard to explain everything." Giles smiled a little. But it faded. "We will stand behind you, no matter what. But there is one more problem."

"What's that?" Faith didn't want to think of yet another thing that could complicate matters even more.

"I think he was referring to us." Everyone turned to see who had walked in. "Faith, we are with the Watcher's Council. You will be coming with us."

Anya screamed and Xander pulled her behind him. Oz flew in front of the werewolf part of himself. It had already caused how many deaths, he wasn't about to let it hurt any of his friends.

Willow held onto Tara's hand. They had begun a spell the second that the werewolf had broken down the door. But it wasn't fast enough. They all watched in horror as the werewolf's claws raked through Oz's chest.

"Goddess!" The spell finished, Willow quickly made her way to Oz's side. The spell had put up a barrier surrounding the werewolf. It growled and clawed at the invisible wall it now found itself trapped in.

Blood was everywhere in an instant. And the faster the blood flowed, the more sedate the werewolf became. It was obvious that Oz was seriously hurt and there was a connection with the werewolf. And that didn't bold well for the werewolf. But the fact that they were connected was the important thing. They had to keep up the barrier and help Oz at the same time.

Willow grabbed the blanket that she always kept on the couch for her and Tara to use when they snuggled. "Xander! Call 911 now!" The redhead began to put pressure on the deep cuts across her ex's chest. "Tara, get some towels or sheets or something. We've got to put pressure on this until the paramedics get here."

Everyone began doing as they were told. Oz's eyes fluttered open for a moment. "I'm sorry."

The redhead shrugged. "Hey, it's all right. But next time maybe you'll come to me before you get yourself involved in the black magicks. I've learned a lot over the years from Tara."

Oz coughed. And with each cough, blood came out as well. "I'm sorry that I came back here. I wanted to break up you and Tara. I want you for my own."

Green eyes went very wide. Tara was by her side handing her a sheet. The redhead took it and began ripping it so that she could tie it around Oz. She just had to save him. After all, she once loved him very deeply. And he had saved her so many years ago from that bullet.

Carefully, she tied the sheets around his chest as tight as she could. "Is there anything else we can do for you?" She noticed that the werewolf was now lying still. Too still for her liking.

Oz's eyes closed. "Just know that I love you. And always will. If only I'd never come back here." There was a whimper from the werewolf.

A little bit of a yellow glow began coming from both the werewolf and Oz. Willow quickly stood up and backed up several steps. She felt Tara wrap her arms around her from behind. Xander and Anya stepped beside the two witches.

The lifeless bodies of Oz and the werewolf began floating. The barrier that Willow and Tara had put up had long ago faded away. The glowing became even brighter as the two came closer together. A bright flash blinded the four watching and when they were able to look again, there was now only Oz. The two had merged back into one.

The lifeless body of Oz floated to the ground. Willow was the first to react. She ran over and kneeled down before his body. She put her hand to his face. It felt so cold. She tried to find a pulse, but there wasn't one. Had she lost another person that she had once loved so much and still cared for?

That's when there was a pounding on the door. The paramedics had arrived. Xander let them in. Willow stood back and watched them do their thing. Was there hope? They put Oz on a stretcher and took him to the ambulance without a word. They just drove off into the twilight of the night.

"We've got to call Buffy." Willow made her way to the phone. "And then we have to get to the hospital." The witch made her way to the phone.

"What are you going to tell her?" Xander eyed the witch. "I mean, was Oz dead?"

Willow shot him a look. She knew that she had not found a pulse. But anything could have happened. "I'll just tell her the truth. We found out who was behind the killing spree. And I'll tell her that Oz is in the hospital."

"That's it?" Xander put his hand on hers. "Will, I saw the look on your face. He's dead, isn't he?"

Tears were now in the corners of the witch's eyes. "Back off!" Everyone turned and stared at the usually quiet Tara. "Give her time. She needs time."

Xander came face to face with the blond. "Why can't she just tell us if Oz is alive or dead. Is that so hard?"

Tara eyed him. "Look, death is not easy to deal with. So give her a chance to deal."

"Enough!" Now everyone was looking at Willow. "Look, I didn't want to have to say this, but I think Oz is dead. I couldn't find a pulse. I think I've lost another person." Tara was there in an instant with her arms around her everything.


	54. 54

AN Thanks as always for the reviews. I'm a little out of it today but this is my only chance to update. So forgive if it's not the greatest. I'll try and do good.

In a matter of minutes, the world had enclosed on the vampire and turned a dark color. Night had fallen on the little town of Sunnydale as well as the world. Here in this town that could seem so normal from a distance and yet had its hidden secrets the darkness was even more prevalent. Any light that could help illuminate it was blocked by sad gray clouds slowly meandering across the darkened sky.

But the darkness didn't matter to the vampire. In fact, he lived in darkness. And he lived in shadows. Never to feel the sunlight upon his face again. That was the price for eternal life. Never to grace the living world.

His vampire eyes could see all of his surroundings and his heightened sense of smell could track down almost anything. And he was tracking on this very night. He was tracking another undead creature such as himself. The one that had turned him into a creature of the night.

Though in life he had never been happy and had been the subject of ridicule most of his life, had he had the choice, he never would have wished to become the monster that he had. Especially now that he had his soul back.

And living with all the things that he had done while in the monster's guise was nearly impossible to take. It overloaded him with all the guilt in the world. And he could literally feel all of the pain of each of his past victims.

The sane part of him used this as more of a motivation to track down his former lover and sire. For he knew that many lives would be taken with her in the fair town. And she wouldn't even bat an eye. She would revel in it just as he had for so many years. At least, the demon inside of him had.

The scent came upon the night like a t-bone on the grill would to any dog around. This predator had found that which he so vehemently sought out. If only so he could save the girl. She so needed saving. The girl needed to not only be saved from all the evil in the world, she needed to be saved from herself.

But how could something that was once upon a time evil as he could save the fair maiden that he so desired to save. But how could he save her if he had yet to truly been saved himself.

But all of that would have to wait. For into what little light there was, appeared the thing that he had been so intently tracking. The paleness of her skin seemed to make her glow in the night. It caught the vampire off guard for a moment.

"Spike." The seductive voice echoed throughout the still night. "You've coming looking for me. And why is that?"

The vampire shook his head to make all thoughts go away for a moment. He had to clear his head. The demon part of him wanted nothing more then to join with his former lover and destroy as much good in the world as he could. But the man with his soul was telling him to take out the evil. To make the world safe for all those innocent people in it.

"Are you still with me pet?" Drusilla took a couple steps toward the blond vampire. "You were lost in your own little world. Not that is a bad thing."

Spike instantly pulled out a stake. This brought out insane laughter from the female vampire. "It's time that this ends Drusilla love."

"Not so quickly my pet." Drusilla clapped her hands and five more vampires came to be seen. "I think it's time for a party, don't you?"

The chirping of the phone that was beside the bed startled the occupants of the Summers' house. That was Buffy, Faith, Giles, Joyce, and five watcher council goons. Joyce was the closest so she answered it.

Joyce's soft voice was in the background as the confrontation was underway. "How the hell did you get into my house?" Buffy took a protective stance in front of the rogue slayer. She had lost her once because of the damn watcher's council. She would be damned if that happened again.

"We're with the council. We don't need permission to do anything." A rather stocky looking man said. The other four were rather chiseled in appearance. "Rupert should know that."

Giles glared at the man. "And you, Edward should know that I no longer work for the council. But I still am well aware of the procedures that the council uses. And their lack of tact."

"Tact is for the weak." Edwards smiled big. "And we do have the authority to take in her." He pointed his meaty finger at Faith who smiled weakly.

"The hell you do!" Buffy took a couple steps towards him and the other council operatives. Only to stop when one of them pulled out a gun and aimed it straight at her forehead. "You know people get hurt playing with those."

"That's the point." Edward nearly growled his words. "You need to step back, little girl and let us do the job that we are supposed to do. If it were up to me, I'd shoot you where you stand. You perverted the council. You make me sick."

"I perverted?" Buffy laughed big. "You are the ones that tried to kill me just to 'test' me. You are the ones that use one girl without care. As long as she does your bidding even if it isn't what should be done. And when one dies, there is another. You men sit there and think that you know what it is like to be a slayer. Only me and Faith and whatever unfortunate girl is so lucky to be called after our deaths will know."

Giles smiled with pride at his slayer. She had come so far from that valley talking, wardrobe obsessed, trying to be a normal teenaged girl that he had met only a few short years ago. "She's right you know."

Edward shrugged. "It's not up for debate. We have orders to take the slayer known as Faith into custody. And we have the authority to use any means necessary. And we will."

Buffy sighed heavily. The thought of losing Faith was not something she liked. But she had a loaded gun pointed right at her head. Even if she could move fast enough, her mother and Faith stood almost directly behind her. A stray bullet could easily catch one of them.

For a brief moment, Giles and her eyes met. It was with that unspoken bond that had seemed almost instant between the slayer and the watcher that they knew what the other was going to do. It just seemed natural.

So, when the gunman moved a little, Giles launched himself on Joyce, knocking her to the ground. Faith seemed to know as well and hit the ground. Buffy launched herself at the gunman. That's when a shot indeed did ring out. And then, there was silence for the longest time.

Xander seemed to break every speed barrier on his way to the hospital. In fact, they were pulling in to the emergency room drive just as Oz was being wheeled into the ER.

The car screeched to a halt long enough for the two witches to get out. Xander and Anya kept going to park the car. The redhead and blond burst through the ER doors. Oz was nowhere to be seen. So the two young lovers made their way to the nurses station.

"Is there any word on the young man that was just brought in?" Willow asked, the fear evident in her voice. Tara took hold of her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

The nurse looked up from whatever chart she had been reading. "Who are you asking about? And who are you into relation to this person?"

Willow didn't like the ladies tone in the least. But she kept herself under control. "My name is Willow Rosenberg. My friend Daniel Osborne was just brought in by ambulance. I was wondering if you could tell me his condition? Please."

"I'm sorry. There is no record for a Daniel Osborne." She typed away at the computer for a few minutes before she smiled slightly. "But there is a John Doe that was brought in five minutes ago. I believe that is him." Her eyes widened a little before she looked up. "I'm afraid that he is in very serious condition at the moment. He is alive, but barely. I wish I had details for you, but they are still working on him. Do you think you could either call his parents or fill out these forms?"

The redhead nodded absently. Oz's parents had moved to somewhere in Indiana. She hadn't kept in contact with them since the two had stopped dating. Not that she had really ever been that close, either. But the least she could do for her ex was to fill out the paperwork. As much as she knew of it anyways.

Tara took the clipboard from the nurse and gently directed Willow to the waiting room. There were already a lot of people in the small little room. It seemed to be a very busy place. Like that was unusual with all the evil that roamed the safe looking streets of Sunnydale.

Tara kept a protective arm wrapped around the waist of her girl. Even though she knew that Willow had long ago gotten over Oz as her boyfriend, she knew that her girl would always care deeply for him. That was part of what made her love her so much. That and the fact that they just seemed meant to be.

Little tears formed again, slowly leaving a wet slick trail down the redhead's cheeks. She swallowed hard to keep the tears pushed back inside. She had to stay strong, she had to stay focused. She could do this for her friend.

The feeling of Tara's arm around her gave her such comfort. And it also saddened her a little. After all, who did Oz have in his life. No one close like she and he had been. He seemed to be all alone. Especially in his travels around the world.

While she had been in Sunnydale finding the love of her life and still having the two bestest friends in the world. She had come so close to losing it to the dark side a couple times. Why was she the one that was being rewarded with a great life.

Now a huge sigh escaped her. Life was never easy. And there always seemed to be something going on. Even if they lived in a world that she had thought existed only a few years ago, life would still be complicated. It just wouldn't have slayers, magic, demons, or vampires in it.

But her life had that extra complication of knowing what really existed in the world. To be like those that could just ignore all the strange things that went on would make life happier but also that much more dangerous.

She remembered how Buffy had told her when she had first come to Sunnydale how lucky she thought people were to not know of the dangers. But then, so many innocent people were hurt or killed. And most could have been saved, at least by themselves if they had known how to protect themselves.

And then, there were times like these. When Oz had tried to do something for the right reasons but in a bad way. Real life was like that as well. And usually things didn't work out when those things were done in a bad way.

But she didn't want to see Oz punished. She knew that he had done it to try and keep Tara and her apart. But that was only because he still cared so much. That was something nice in a way.

"Any news?" Xander's voice made her jump in her seat.

Tara looked up at them with sad blue eyes. "Not yet. He is still alive. But is in very serious condition."

"Man." Xander began pacing. "Have I said how much I hate hospitals lately? They are of the no good."

Willow smiled sadly at him. She knew what he was trying to do. But she was too worried about Oz. "They're here for the good, Xander. Just don't like having to come to them either."

Xander was about to say something else. That's when a man in a white coat came out of the ER. He went over to the nurses station and the nurse pointed at the group of young people. He made his way over. "You are her for Mr. Osborne?"

"Yes." Willow quickly stood up, Tara by her side.

"Well, I'm afraid the outlook is grim for your friend."


	55. 55

AN Thanks for all the good reviews. That's what keeps me going.

The blond vampire looked around him. Five to one were not the greatest of odds even for a superior fighter like himself. Well, six to one if you counted his ex that at the moment was staring off into space. It was like she was envisioning the upcoming fight and him ending up dust.

Spike smiled to himself. When he was sane, he would have been making some smartass comment. And he wouldn't wait for the action to come to him. These five blokes would be just dust in the wind. But he wasn't himself yet. And he wondered how long it would be before he was.

No time to worry about that now. For two of the five vamps had launched their attack. Spike took one of it out of action by breaking its knee. It writhed on the ground in pain. The second vampire hesitated for a second. He tried to punch William the Bloody but his fist was caught. And the once bad old vampire crushed it with his right and pulled out a stake with his left. Soon, there were only four vampires.

Three of the four started to circle the blond vampire. The one with the broken knee tried to stand up. In one quick motion, Spike grabbed the vampire's shirt collar and pulled him up to him and had the wood of the stake through his heart. Soon, he was holding nothing but dust.

The three vampires stopped circling. They all looked at Drusilla who was still lost in space. They knew what they were supposed to do. But it wasn't as easy as they had thought that it was going to be.

The three converged at once. Spike waved his hands at them as if to say bring it on. All three of them launched themselves at him. That brought a smile to the vampire's face. With speed and grace, he pulled out the sword from his back. With a seemingly effortless flick, all three vampire's heads were rolling on the ground and then nothing but dust.

Drusilla finally snapped out of her trance that she had been in. She looked around to see ashes blowing in the wind. A little smile crept across her face. "I knew you'd win, Spike." There was a smile on that pale face. "It was just a test."

"A test?" Spike held a stake in his left hand, the sword in his right. "What in the bloody hell are you testing me for? To see if I'm as insane as you. Cause at the moment I seem pretty damn lucid. What are you up to, Dru?"

There was that insane laughter of the vampire's. "If I told you, it wouldn't be any fun." The smile on her face grew larger. "Now be a good boy and come along."

"Why in the bloody hell would I come with you?" Spike crossed his arms against his chest. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm on the side of the good guys now."

Drusilla shook her head. "Exactly." That's when two vampires walked out of the shadows. They walked up behind Spike and shocked him with an electric prod. "Pleasant dreams, my sweet. The slayer won't be happy I've got her new toy."

Not just one gunshot, but a spray of bullets tore throughout Joyce Summers' bedroom. The window shattered with the bullets that had been intended for Buffy and Faith. Or was it everyone in that room besides the watchers.

Buffy was the first to recover. She did a leg sweep to the guy with the gun. The gun went off several more times, riddling the ceiling and shattering the light above. Glass sprayed down on the slayer but she ignored the little cuts and pain.

The gun in his hand was easily knocked out. "It's time to show you how we do things the slayer way." With one punch, the guy was out. But there were two others now standing with guns in their hands. Pointed down at her.

"That's quite enough, Miss Summers. We will get what we came for. We always do." Edward smiled big. He didn't have a gun trained on her, but he was still acting all brave.

That's when Faith took out both the operatives that were holding their guns on Buffy with a similar leg sweep as the blond slayer had previously done. She quickly grabbed both the guns that had been knocked loose. The cold steel felt strange in her hands. Guns were not what a slayer was used.

"I'm so not the one to handle these things." The rogue slayer turned and gave them to Giles. "You take them." She turned back to the operatives. "I prefer my fists and stakes to those things." She took a fighting stance as the two operatives regained their balance. She felt a familiar presence as Buffy came to stand beside her.

Edward glared at Giles who held both guns in his hands like it was the most natural thing in the world. "I've been well trained on how to use these things if you remember correctly." Giles smiled as he pointed both guns at the man.

"You know that we will keep sending men after her." Edward took a step towards Giles who cocked the gun. "You can't keep her from the council. We always get what we want. You should know that by now."

"Not really." Buffy smiled from ear to ear. "See, the way that I remember it was that Travers wanted a lapdog. I don't roll over and I don't play dead. I do what I want to. I fight the bad guys. But I do it the way that I want to. The council wanted me to do everything they wanted. But it didn't happen, now did it? So I'm thinking that you aren't going to get what you want this time either."

Faith put her hand on Buffy's shoulder. The two slayers looked each other in the eyes. "Look, B. I don't want to cause trouble. Maybe I should just go with them. It'll make things easier for you in the long run."

"Not gonna happen." Buffy smiled sweetly at her former enemy. "Only if you've given up on that whole wanting to do good thing. As long as you don't give up on that, I won't be giving up on you. Ever."

"I..." Faith trailed off. She had never had anyone believe in her like this. But would it be enough. "Thanks, B. I think it will be the thing that makes the difference."

Buffy turned back to the operatives. "I suggest that you get the hell out of here. Get out before us two slayers decide to open up a can of whoop ass on you. And give your bosses the message that they don't want to mess with these slayers. The same thing goes that I said back then. Til the next slayer is called, you guys don't have someone to kick around anymore."

Edward took a step forward. He stopped as soon as the bullet hit the floor where his foot was about to land. He looked over at Giles with a look of surprise on his face. "You've changed, Rupert. You used to be for the council. What happened?"

"I realized that there are some things that are more important then rules." Giles glanced at Buffy, pride clearly showing in his eyes. "There is such a thing as being a human being and caring about people." He turned his gaze back to Edward. "But that isn't a concept that you could ever grasp. You or the council will never know what it's like to actually care about the people that are chosen to die so young. It bloody well hurts. But it also makes the difference in the war. Why is that you think that Buffy has been the best slayer the council has ever known. And lasted the longest."

"Except for dying once." Edward smiled.

"Yes, she did that. But she overcame that as well." Giles sighed heavily. "Like I said, you and the council will never understand. And that's just a shame. Using someone is just plain wrong. And these are more then just slayers. They are human beings as well. Unlike the council and all its members."

"I suggest you leave now." Buffy's voice cracked a little as she spoke. Could it be she was choked up at the way that her former watcher and now friend had just spoken about her?

Edward shook his head. "Just know this..."

He was cutoff by Buffy. "That you'll be back. Always be watching our backs cause you guys are these bad ass types. Please. I get that stuff out of demons every day." She turned to Giles. "Do you think there is a connection?"

Giles smiled. "Could be. The demons we fight are so much like how the council wants to control you." He chuckled softly. "Just bloody hell get out of here."

They watched as the four conscious council members picked up the one that Buffy had knocked out. They walked out in silence. Buffy watched them from the top of the stairs to make sure that they had left. She returned to the disaster that had been her mother's bedroom. "Sorry about the mess, Mom."

Joyce looked around her. "I'm used to it Buffy. But there is something else going on. Oz. He's hurt. At the hospital. I think Willow could use you."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Faith, we can't risk you going out yet. So, stay here. Take care of mom for me. Giles?"

"I'll stay here as well. Go. Be with Willow." Giles hugged her before she took off with all her slayer speed.

Tara held on tightly to her everything. It was killing her to see the redhead going through all of this. And there was no way for her to take away any of the pain. Only to be there for her no matter what happened. And it looked bad.

"I'm sorry. But Mr. Osborne didn't survive the surgery." The doctor smiled sadly at her.

Willow almost collapsed to the floor. "Oz!" Her sobs were so great. She felt arms grab her and hold her. Sobs of pain racked her entire body. How could this be happening. How could the man that she had loved, that had awakened her, how could he be dead.

"Shhh. It's all right baby. I got you." Tara held her even tighter. Gentle kisses were placed up and down her neck. "I'll always be here for you. I'm sorry."

Xander and Anya just stood there watching. Watching two lovers comfort one another over one of the biggest things to hit the scoobies in years. A loss of one of their own.

Slowly, Tara managed to get her and Willow back to the chairs in the waiting room. She sat down and held on for dear life. The thought that it could be any of them that was no longer with them kept surging throughout her head.

And in Willow's. What would it be like if it had been Tara that had been killed. Could she have handled it? Would it send her over the edge and would she lose the control that was so tentative at best.

Buffy ran into the emergency room at that moment. She saw Anya and Xander standing next to each other, holding one another. Her eyes followed the path and she saw her best friend just crying and sobbing and in total pain. She knew in an instant what had happened.

"I'm so sorry." Buffy came up and sat next to Willow. She put a hand on the redhead's back. "Is there anything I can do for you? I really want to do anything that can help."

Willow finally pulled out of Tara's tight grip. "There's nothing that anyone can do. Oz sacrificed himself to save us. That's means a lot. He died a hero Buffy."

"Yeah." Buffy hugged her best friend. "Let's get you out of here. Xander, you got your car?" He nodded. "You'll be home in a jiffy. We'll clean up the place while you two just relax."

Buffy and the rest of the gang had been true to their word. The smashed door and all the other reminders of the showdown with Oz and his inner monster were now gone.

That left two lovers all alone. Tears had been spent and had stopped. It didn't mean there wouldn't be more tears. They were just done for now. For the ones that we love, there are always tears that remain.

The two young lovers were snuggled close in bed. Tara had her arms wrapped protectively around her everything. "Tara?" The blond smiled at her sweetly. "I need you. I know I said that I just wanted you to hold me, but I need you. Please."

Tara eyed her lover. "Are you sure?" Willow nodded and kissed her gently. "You know that whatever you want, you get." She kissed her. Kissed her like she never had before. And two women made love. To forget the pain, to know only love and pleasure. They held onto one another for dear life.


	56. 56

AN Glad to know that you guys still like this. Hope I keep up to standards. Still lots of ideas.

Spike felt the cool splash of water on his face. Where in the bloody hell was he? It wasn't anywhere he could ever remember being. It was somewhat familiar in that it looked like the caves that Evil Riley had taken over and that he had tried to help defeat along side Buffy.

Buffy! Where was his love. The one that seemed to believe in him no matter what. That was an excellent question. Better yet still was where he was. Back to that old question. He shook off the excess water as it splashed him for a second time.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Spike surveyed the area now that his eyes seemed to be able to focus. Standing in front of him were these vampires. He didn't recognize them. His gaze went a little further and he finally recognized the familiar figure of Drusilla. "Luv, what are you up to?"

Drusilla smiled big. "I'm not up to much." That's when a familiar blond was pulled out of the shadows. "Except for this."

"Buffy!" Spike pulled away from the cavern walls. But he was held up fast by chains. "What the bloody hell are you going to do with her?"

"What a vampire usually does with a slayer." Drusilla began to giggle. She looked up to the ceiling of the cavern. "It's what the stars told me to do. They told me that it was time for a new slayer to take over. So, after I have my bit of fun with her, we shall kill her nice and proper like."

Spike pulled even harder on his chains. "I won't let you do this. I will bloody well stop you. You know that I'm better at this then you are."

Drusilla sauntered up to the bleach blond vampire. She put a hand on his face. "I think not, my luv. You see, this time I have someone on my side that is more powerful then you."

Faith walked out of the shadows. "Cool. So this is where the party is going on. I was wondering if I missed it or something."

Buffy turned her eyes on the rogue slayer. It had been two days since the council had tried to take her. And the blond slayer had thought that she had repented. But if she truly was working for Drusilla, then there was no turning back now. Damn having gone off on her own after Spike. She should have listened to Giles and had waited for the backup.

But Drusilla had been so convincing. And that was going to be her downfall. And by the looks of it, Faith's as well. And that was something that the original slayer could not forgive herself for.

"Yo B!" Faith came up to where her counterpart was tied and gagged. "You look like you've seen better days. You go choosen the side of good over evil? Hmm. Gotta tell ya, been on both sides." She turned to look at Drusilla. "I know when I say that it pays off to see where the biggest payoff is."

"Exactly my dear." Drusilla turned from Spike. "You see, I've found this nice little ritual. It entails a vampire with a soul and a slayer. Hmm. It would seem that I have both right her in my midst."

"What exactly does it do, pet?" Spike knew that in his spot and Buffy's condition, neither were really going to be able to put up much of a fight.

Drusilla clapped her hands together. "I'm so glad that you asked me that." She started to hop and skip. "This mixture of evil, that would be you my dear William, and this good, the slayer, opens a portal. I'm not sure where to exactly. All I know is that it will bring us him. The ultimate vampire."

The chains rattled as Spike winced at the thought. The legends of the ultimate vampire were partially exaggerated he knew. But he also knew that they were true. It was not like the ubervamps as some called them. No. Those ubervamps were wild beast only for the kill.

The ultimate vampire was said to have gone by the name of Hondreas in life. He was turned nearly five thousand years ago. The one that turned him had made a grave mistake. For Hondreas was not only one of the most powerful warriors of the time, he was also the most powerful of sorcerers around. None could equal his power.

So, by the foolish part of a vampire almost five thousand years ago, the world lived in fear of this creature of the night. Finally, this powerful ring of sorcerers bound him to another dimension. One that there was said to be no key to. Until now.

"Dru, you can't be serious. Why would you want to bring forth something like that?" Spike was feeling rather sane. It appeared that he was finally coming to terms with the pain that his soul gave him. He pushed it aside and now learned to be the good man that he is.

"Why not?" Drusilla giggled. "The end of a true champion such as yourself and a slayer? Now that's what I call very good. And unleashing evil on the world, that's even better."

Willow looked around her. It was a beautiful day in Sunnydale. She was with her everything on a picnic. One similar to the one that she had prepared to celebrate her girl's birthday not that long ago.

But her mood could not match the beauty surrounding her. After all, it was only two days ago that Oz had died. The funeral was the next day. And Tara was trying to not necessarily to cheer her up, but just to let her know that it was all right to grieve and to continue living.

It had seemed since that day that Oz had died, that Willow was sick. Her stomach always seemed to be achy and Tara had spent many hours rubbing it to make it feel better. But nothing she did seemed to help.

So, they sat out in the beautiful sun. Willow watching the coming and goings of their fellow collegians. She had her head in Tara's lap as the blond sat up against a tree. There was the constant stroking by the blond of the redhead.

It was the sheer just being with one another that kept each other going. No matter how bad things got with the baddies, they could always count on one another to be there for the other. And it made all the difference in the world.

The silence between them seemed to go on forever. But yet there was the language that the two lovers had picked up so long ago. Neither really had to say a word and they knew what the other was saying.

And right now, the two were talking. Saying how much they loved one another. How it was all right to grieve for someone that at one time had meant everything to the other. And yet, they were not saying everything.

Suddenly, Willow sat up. She looked into those ocean blue eyes of her girlfriend's, ones that gave her comfort to no end. "Tara? What if something were to happen to you?"

Tara sat up straighter. Even though they had that connection, this was not what she had expected Willow to ask of her. "Why ask such a thing? Don't even think about losing me. We'll be together forever, you know that."

Willow shook her head. "You don't know that for sure. Anything can happen. I never thought Oz would have to sacrifice himself just to save us."

Tara took her hand in her own. "That's true. We've both come close to not surviving. But I can't look at things like that. What if something bad happens way. I want to live the now for the now. And that means you."

Willow smiled at the last statement. She leaned in and gave her girl a gentle kiss. "I know. And for me, that means you." The redhead placed her head back in her lover's lap. "I know the feeling oh so well. I just didn't think I'd lose Oz the way I did. It was hard enough to let go in the first place."

The blond kept stroking her arm gently. "I remember you telling me how hard it was. But it was for the best."

"Definitely. It would have been harder for me and you." Again, the redhead sat up. "It was because we met the way that we did that it told me that I should let go of Oz and try to start something new. I never really knew that would mean actually having the great life that we have now."

Tara put her hand on the soft cheek of her girl and caressed softly. "What is really bothering you?" A sad smile crept on to her face when the realization hit. "You are blaming yourself for his death."

The redhead turned away from her. She should have known that her girl would be able to see through her. After all, they had been through so much. And there was that connection. "If he still hadn't had this thing for me and wanted to prove himself, he never would have tried getting rid of wolfy like he did. And maybe he would still be alive now."

Tara pulled her into a hug. "You cannot blame yourself for how others behave. You made it clear when you broke up with him that it was because the feelings weren't there. Then you told him that you were seeing me. He knew that the feelings weren't there, not beyond friendship. You have nothing to be guilty for."

"I guess." Willow sighed heavily. The past few years seemed to be getting to her. So many of their loved ones had died. First there was Jesse. Then Miss Calendar. So many died when the school was blown up. And then, Riley had died. Now Oz. Who was going to be next among them.

"There's more." Tara again forced those green eyes to her blue ones. "I think we've come back to the fact that you are afraid that I'm going to be next."

Willow shrugged and pulled out of the comforting hug. She stood up and put her hand to her tummy that was all rumbly for some reason. "We can't predict the future. We can only live the present as some wise person said to me."

Tara stood up and wrapped her arms around her witch. "And that's why I suggested this picnic. So that we could forget what happened just a couple days ago, forget what is to happen tomorrow and just be with one another like it should always be."

That brought a smile to the redhead's face. "Yes it should."

They stood there like that for what seemed like hours, but in told it was only a few minutes. They seemed to be able to live a life time together in short amounts of time. That wonderful connection that they had.

The sun set slowly. It was one of the most beautiful sunsets that either women had witnessed. It was like the events of the past few days had not happened. It was like they were the only two people that existed in the world.

Before darkness could entirely engulf the world around them, they packed up the picnic and quickly made their way to their apartment. Neither bothered to look at the answering machine that was desperately flashing a message at them.

Instead, Tara made her way over to the stereo. She pushed the repeat button before she pushed play. The song came on. Their song. The one that they both loved to dance to endlessly.

'I Can't Take my Eyes off of You' slowly came out of the speakers. Tara came and took the redhead in her arms. She leaned her shoulder on the redhead's. They swayed gently to the music. One that seemed so fitting for the two of them.

As they held one another, the world disappeared. It was just the two of them and no one else. It wasn't long before the two witches were floating on air. Floating on the love that they had for one another.

Nothing could bring them down. They could only be one. There was only one thing that would ever pull them a part. But that was not what this night was about. It was about the two of them. And what their love was capable of. And that might even surprise the two of them to find out what their love could bring forward.


	57. 57

AN Thanks for the reviews. I'm not doing so hot right now, but I finally am able to focus enough to write. On person makes this possible. So, hope you enjoy.

Giles was in a total panic. He'd managed to call Willow and Tara, but there had been no response. Not that him moaning on the other end would have been an indication to where or who he was. For he was still in his living room, tied and gagged, by the rogue slayer.

And after they had fought so hard to keep her away from the council. It felt like a total and absolute betrayal to him that she had yet again apparently turned her back on Buffy and the fighting of good.

The watcher was having trouble staying awake at this moment. He hadn't eaten or really slept in several days. It was likely that if someone didn't come across him and soon, he would not survive this whole ordeal.

It felt funny to him. After all the scoobies had been through, you'd think one of them would have at least checked in once on him. Especially with the watcher's council breathing down his and everyone's neck.

But he supposed they all had their own lives. And Buffy now in love with another vampire with a soul was not what he had expected. He just prayed that it ended better then things had with Angel before he had left.

That was one thing that the watcher intended to do. Confront one slayer about her feelings. It couldn't be good for either her or the vampire. Even if the vampire now truly was a good man.

The headache that Giles was having suddenly got so much worse. There were so many things that he needed to do. And so little time to do it all in. He just hoped that someone would come along to hopefully save him.

Drusilla positioned Spike and Buffy in the middle of the cavern. She smiled bigger then ever at the thoughts of what was soon to come. She would be in control of the ultimate vampire and she would then rule this mortal world.

Not that that was really what this was all about. She wanted her revenge on her ex lover Spike. He had shunned her and all her kind by actually going out and getting a soul. All so that he could impress his young slayer.

And that was fine with her. This just gave her yet another reason to hate the slayer. And Faith coming along and offering her services was just what the doctor had ordered. It helped things immensely.

The slayer and vampire were sitting back to back in the middle of a circle of black candles. They were both now wearing black robes, all in the name of ceremony.

Drusilla began dancing around. This was just all so much fun. Taking care of people that you hated and to end the world at the same time. It was all that a demon could hope or wish for. That or an endless supply of blood donors.

Faith watched the vampire carefully. Things were not going like she had planned them. Perhaps she shouldn't have cold-cocked Giles after all. And maybe she should have waited for backup.

But that was something she wasn't used to yet. People actually believing in her and trying to be there for her no matter what. No one in her life had been until the mayor.

And even then, there was a catch to it. After all, he had been evil. It was at the price that she hurt other people that she actually had someone love her and protect her.

Then, Buffy had come along again. And she stood up for her and rescued her from those damn watchers. And Giles had been there right by her side. And yet, she didn't think she could trust them enough.

Or was it herself that she could not trust. The rogue slayer held back a grin at this thought. She couldn't do anything to draw attention to herself. She had to keep up the act that she had going on. The one that made Drusilla think that she hated Buffy and anyone associated with her.

But it made her think. It wasn't because Buffy and the others would not trust her, although it would take time again to build that back up. No, it was because she still didn't believe in herself that she was in this position. And that meant that Buffy and the vampire were now in big time danger.

The rogue slayer had watched the whole process. She knew that it wouldn't be long and she'd have to make her move. The vampire she was dealing with was insane and known for little bitty if not great big mood swings.

And from what she'd learned, the process was one that neither the vampire or slayer may live through. Her one thought was that it had to be started before she could rescue them. Giles had feared that this was a possibility.

And from his accounts, the only way to seal up the door to whatever dimension that this ultimate vampire was in was to stop the ritual in the middle. And that was gonna making timing everything as that old saying goes.

Drusilla walked over to a chest that Faith had noticed one of the several lackey vampires had brought in. The vampire opened it and pulled out a sword. This made the slayer straighten a little. It was time. The ritual would soon be starting.

The insane vampire made her way over to where the rogue slayer still leaned on the cave wall looking all nonchalant, like this was no big deal. When in fact it could be a very important step on her road to redemption.

With an insane smile on her face, Drusilla handed the slayer the sword. "You see, I think this would be a great opportunity for us to see just how loyal you are. And I find it fitting that a slayer does in a vampire."

Without a moments worth of hesitation, Faith grabbed the sword. "Wicked hardware!" She faked lunged for a moment. In the back of her mind was how much more complicated things had gotten for her.

Drusilla giggled like a school girl. "And it has one very important use." She turned to her ex lover and his new love. "It will eliminate a slayer and her lover."

Faith walked over to where Buffy and Spike were tied together. "You know what they say, B. Payback is a bitch." That's when she pulled the sword back, ready to shove it through the other slayer's still beating heart and Spike's unbeating one. How fitting, right through the heart.

Willow sighed. Tara had her armed wrapped around her waist as they lay in bed with one another. It had indeed been a magical night. One without the magicks and that was the best kind. For they had gotten to yet again show one another how much they loved one another.

Oz's funeral had been the hardest thing that she had ever been through. But at least there had been a body. With some of their past friends, it was just a disappearance. There was no body so they could not actually have a funeral.

The thought flashed again at how much she had lost sense she had realized that all the evil in the world was really real. It wasn't just some fairytale that parents told their kids to make them behave themselves.

If she ever had kids, she wouldn't do that to them. Life was hard enough with the every day dangers and normal routine. Why would you pile on to that ignorance as well.

Not that that was an option anyways. Well, yeah, there were ways for a lesbian couple to have kids. But none that would involve both of them being a part of the child's makeup. One would carry the child and the other play surrogate mother.

This thought saddened the witch. She had never thought about having children. Not til this wonderful woman had entered her life. With Oz, it was that she was way too young to even think that far ahead besides knowing that she wasn't ready.

But with Tara, it was different. There were no doubts in her mind. None at all. The woman asleep beside her was always going to be in her life. There was no way that she could live without her. So that part was simple enough.

But what about college? And she was only twenty years old. Both were still so young and had so much life ahead of them to live. Of course, it would be lived together. Of that, she was certain. More then that, she was unsure.

Willow chuckled softly. Why was she thinking about all of this now. Was it because she had just lost someone that had meant so much to her and therefore she wanted to know that life went on by being able to create a life?

That was something for her to think about. Such serious thoughts for so early in the morning. It was so wild that these thoughts would even enter her mind. Where were they coming from. That's when the most beautiful woman she had ever laid her eyes upon started to slowly wake up.

It wasn't long before blue eyes were meeting green ones. They stared at one another for the longest time. They smiled big as the morning ritual came to pass. And that was Tara leaning up on an elbow and kissing her lover with all the love that she felt in her body.

They pulled back from one another. Smiles that could light up a blacked out community on each other's face. Just the simple knowing that both of them were there and would never leave was all that they ever needed to know.

Willow was the first to break the golden silence that sat between the two of them. "Morning."

Again, Tara leaned in for a quick kiss. "Morning."

There was nothing but silence for the longest of times. Willow wasn't sure of what the blond was thinking, only that she herself was remembering those things. Those ideas about possibly wanting a child with this gorgeous woman.

That's when she felt it. Just like she had for the past few mornings straight. She put her hand to her mouth and took off for their bathroom. She made just in time.

Tara quickly made her way to the doorway. It worried her that her lover was yet again sick. It wasn't like Willow to be sick. She was one of the strongest people that the blond had ever met. So it gave her reason to worry, that was for sure.

"Are you all right?" She asked as she had for the past several mornings. Again, there was fear mixed in with concern.

Finally having heaved all that she could, Willow weakly stood up and made her way to the sink. She splashed some cold water on her face and took a sip. "As all right as I have been."

Tara came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her. "You really need to go to the doctors. This could be serious and I want you feeling all good."

Willow shrugged. She stared at the reflection in the mirror. Her standing with Tara wrapped tightly around her gave her the most comfort. She was the only one that could make her feel better no matter what.

"I'm calling the doctor now." Before Willow could protest, Tara was off to the phone in the living room. That's when she finally noticed the blinking message. "Willow!" The redhead quickly joined her. "Did you notice when we got this message?"

Willow shook her head no. "We've been a little preoccupied the last couple days." She pushed the button.

At first, it sounded like a prank phone call. There were just muffled sounds and heavy breathing. Willow was about to stop the tape when she heard something familiar. It was the sound of the clock at Giles' tolling three.

"Oh my Goddess!" Willow and Tara quickly ran into the bedroom to get their clothes on. Something had probably happened to Giles. And who knows who else. All while the two of them were being happy with one another.


	58. 58

AN Still a little headachey, so forgive me. For once, feel like writing. Hope this lives up. And thanks big time for the reviews. Happy anniversary baby. I know you'll be reading.

Willow was having trouble keeping going. Her stomach just wasn't up to par. But the man that meant so much to her was in trouble. She was cursing herself for having yet once again gotten so involved with her own life. But hey, didn't she deserve to be happy too?

And at least Tara was still by her side as always. With her rock by her side, she could face anything. And they had. It still surprised her what the two of them had been through in such a short time, that was for sure.

When they got to Giles' door, it was still shut. For some reason, she had thought that she would find it all smashed in or something. But it was still intact. She just hoped that her friend was still all right inside.

"Should we wait for Xander and Anya?" Willow took Tara's hand in her own. They had called them just before they had run out of their apartment.

"I'm not sure." Tara's voice was one of uncertain. "I mean, Giles is probably in pretty bad shape at the moment." Her heart sank as she said it. She just didn't want to believe that anything was wrong with the watcher.

Willow took a deep breath. She gave Tara's hand a squeeze. The blond witch knew immediately that her girlfriend had come to a decision. And that was to go ahead and see if Giles were indeed all right. So, she also took a deep breath.

Slowly, the redhead opened the door. The apartment was actually still pretty much intact. There were no signs of a struggle at all. Just a few things out of place, well, for the normally neat former librarian anyways.

They both walked in cautiously. Both holding their breaths thinking that someone or something could jump out at them at any time. And from past experience, it could very well just do that.

"Find anything yet?" The voice from behind them scared them so that they jumped. Willow was already performing a little barrier. Xander held up his hands. "Sorry, guys. Just wondering if you found G-man yet."

Both witches let a long and deep breath. That's when they heard the moan. The two witches ran to the sound. There was Giles still tied up and gagged. Willow waved her hand in the air, even though it would just have been as easy to untie him. But he'd already been like that for so long.

Xander came up behind them. He helped pick up the watcher and get him to the couch. Without saying a word, Anya made her way to the kitchen and brought back with her a glass of water. The watcher gladly took a sip. His eyes seemed a little glazed over. They just couldn't seem to focus at all.

The four young adults stood and watched him in silence. It was a very concerned silence, but still they wanted him to be the one to speak. He was the one that he needed the time.

After several minutes, Giles' eyes seemed to regain their focus. He smiled as he looked up at four of the young people that meant so much to him. It was a wonder how close they had grown in such a short time and all over the slaying. It was like it was meant to be.

"Have any of you seen Buffy?" That was his first statement. Of course, there was no concern for himself. It was his charge he thought of. Or was it his daughter?

Willow shook her head. "No, we came straight here when we finally got your message. Sorry it took so long. We haven't seen Spike or Faith either for a couple days in fact."

"Ah, yes." Giles sighed heavily. "About Faith. She's the one that put me in this predicament. I told her what I thought was going on. That someone had kidnapped Spike so that they could perform a particular ritual. And of course, with Buffy being gone as well, I'm afraid that we could very well face the biggest threat we have ever had to face."

"Not again." Everyone glared at Xander's comment. He shrugged. "Like everyone wasn't thinking it. So Faith has turned to the dark side already. That just sucks. Where do you think they could have gone?"

"Not quite sure." Giles began rubbing the back of his head. "I'm afraid that I'm in no condition to help. Other then thinking and that is giving me a bloody headache. You four will have to try and find them and stop them."

"Stop exactly what?" Willow nodded to Tara who immediately understood. "We have to know what we are up against for us to be able to be able to face whatever it is. Especially with Faith involved. I remember how fun it was to face the rogue slayer the last time around."

Giles briefly told them about the most powerful vampire ever and what untold deeds he had done. And what the ritual entailed. And if that they could only seal the portal after which it had started. But he had no clue as to where or by whom it was being performed.

"That's an easy problem." Willow stood up as Tara came back. She handed the redhead an ice pack who in turn gave it to Giles. "You rest up. Tara and I can do a locator spell. If not for Faith, we should easily be able to do one for Buffy. Then the four of us can go. If you think you'll be all right here on your own that is."

"Of course I shall. I thank you though." Giles stood up uneasily. "I just wish I knew what exactly to prepare you for. I only sensed the ritual because of a few dates that coincided. There where no clues of who would be behind them."

"We'll be all right. You just rest." Willow turned to the others. "Look, we don't have a whole lot of time. You've got your car, right Xander?"

"But of course." Xander nodded. "You want me and Anya to load up on weapons while you do the locator thingy?"

"That would help a great deal." Willow sighed. "All right. This is the plan. You drop us off at our apartment. It's where all our supplies are. Then, you go to Buffy's and get as many weapons as you can. Come back as soon as you are loaded up. I just hope that we can get there in time."

Faith was sweating. She still held the sword in her hand. It was at the ready. All she had to do was plunge it into her fellow slayer's heart and through her back and into the vampire's as well.

But something was stopping her. And it wasn't because she had decided to be good. Something was telling her that if she didn't stop now, there was no way that she could get Buffy back. Which was stupid. Hello! Stabbing through the heart here.

There was a voice in the back of her head that was telling her that if she could stall, just a little while, help would be on it's way. But how in the hell could she stall a vampire that was literally insane?

And she looked around her. She hadn't realized that there were so many lackey vampires. There had to be at least two dozen or more. And that's when her eyes met her once archenemies eyes. Those eyes were full of fear. Something she had never seen before. Not from B anyways.

A little smile played on her face. She mouthed, "Don't worry B. I got your back." The blond raised an eyebrow then slowly nodded her head so that Faith knew that she understood. That was all good and dandy. But she still had to stall.

So Faith turned around. The vampire eyed her for a moment. "What's the matter, slayer?" Drusilla took a step towards her. "You can't, can you?"

Faith chuckled slightly. "It's not that, yo." She put the sword down to her side. "It's the fact that if I remember what G-man had said, the ritual had to take place at a certain time. Are you sure that this is it?"

That froze the vampire. She hadn't really thought about that. "You are a wise little slayer." Drusilla clapped her hands. A vampire with glasses made his way to her. "This young thing has a point. Are you certain that everything goes according to plan?"

The male vampire began fidgeting. "I'm almost sure. I mean, I think that everything is going according to schedule."  
Drusilla held up a hand. "You'd best be making sure that everything is going according to plan. After all, I'll be just a little cranky if things should not go as they are to."  
The male vampire began shaking a little. "I'll just go over things one more time. I, I..." He trailed off at her look of warning. "It won't take that long."

"See that it doesn't." The vampire sighed. She turned back towards Faith. "Well, now. I'm not used to slayers being big on the thinking. Thank you for that. I'm going to go out for a bit. Me tummy is a little rumbly. But I'll be back shortly. You keep an eye on our guests."

"Sure thing." Faith watched as the vampire and about a half dozen of the lackeys followed her out the entrance to the cavern. All the other lackeys seemed to be preoccupied. So she thought she'd take her chances. "B?"

The blond slayer looked up at the dark haired slayer. Still being gagged, she could not talk. But her eyes expressed a lot. And there was still wonderment in them. Wondering if she could truly trust the other slayer.

"It's cool. I'm having to play along." Faith came in a little closer. "I screwed up, though. I thought I needed to go it alone. Giles is, well, out of it. And the others don't know. I'm so stupid. It's just you and me. And I'm just so worried that I'm going to screw up."

Buffy's eyes shown bright for a moment. If she could, she would tell her that she had faith in her. That she was a slayer, to just follow her instincts that everything soon would be all right. But she couldn't. She could only smile through the gag and try and communicate with her eyes.

That's when the familiar voice entered her head. "Buffy, it's Willow. We're outside the cavern now. But I wanted to know what was going on in there before we came in blind. Is Faith in there with you? And is she all evilly?"

Not knowing exactly what to do, Buffy began to think her response, which the witch received loud and clear. "Right now there are only about eighteen vamps. Faith is here, but I think she's of the good. And watch out. Drusilla is the ringmaster here. She just left a few minutes ago. But she only went out to feed. So be careful. And trust Faith. Talk to her as well."

"All right." Willow's voice was now inside of Faith. "Faith, listen. Xander, Anya, Tara, and I are outside. We're coming in. You get the party started. Just be careful and watch out for Buffy. I'm going to put up a slight barrier and warning alarm so that we'll know when Drusilla gets back."

"Yo! Don't scare a chick like that." Faith managed to keep from speaking it out loud. "You guys just take of yourselves. Be careful. I'll watch out for B." She immediately sliced the restraints. Buffy removed her own gag. And that's when the fighting began. Buffy saw to Spike's restraints.

The fighting went on for several minutes. Tara and Willow were using the magicks, while the rest used swords and stakes. They seemed to have the upper hand. There were only about five vamps left when a voice echoed throughout the cavern.

"I don't think so." Drusilla smiled big. And following her in were not the half dozen vamps she left with, but about thirty. And some nasty looking demons as well. "Time for a party I'd say." That's when all hell broke loose.


	59. 59

AN Sorry if I don't update. Got big news. I'm getting published. Original stuff. Man. I'm still in shock. It's a lot of work at the moment, doing everything. So again, sorry for lack of updates. Thanks for the reviews and standing by me.

Joyce walked in the door of Giles' apartment. She hadn't seen Buffy for days. She was very worried about her daughter. And had been always, but more so since she had found out about the business of her only child being the slayer.

The place didn't look like it usually did. Not that she had been there that often. But a few times was enough to know that this was not how it usually looked. And there were no signs of the man that she had come to see.

She knew that Giles was a father figure to her daughter. Much more so then her real father had ever been. And that was just fine with her. She often thought that it was sad that he never had any children of his own.

A moan from the upstairs caught her attention. It was a sound of severe discomfort. Quickly, she made her way up the stairs. She found Giles in bed, looking a little worse for wear.

"What happened?" She quickly made her way to the side of his bed. "Is everything all right? Buffy?"

"Buffy is, well, was fine the last I knew." Giles groaned as he managed to sit up. "I'm afraid that I'm the one that has taken the beating this time. I'm rather in a lot of pain at the moment." He sighed heavily.

"Would you like me to get you something?" Joyce stood up. "Or do you just want to be alone." She smiled sweetly at him.

"I'd rather appreciate the company, if it's not too much trouble. Please, do stay. Perhaps join me in a cup of tea."

"I'll make some." Joyce didn't take long to make them both steaming hot cups of tea. "I also found some cookies. I hope that you don't mind that I brought those as well."

"Of course not." Giles smiled shyly. It was if there was this feeling between him and Joyce. After all, something had happened to them a few years ago. Of course, that was while they were all under a spell. It was just the influence of the spell.

"Good." Joyce smiled shyly as well. "I've got this incredible case of the munchies right now. I think it's because I've been so worried about Buffy."

"That would do it." Giles chuckled softly. "I've had a couple of those bouts as well. With the life of a slayer, comes stress. And lots of it."

"And I thought that just being a regular parent was stressful." She herself chuckled. "They have no idea what it is like to have to deal with everything that a slayer goes through. Then they would know what real parenting is about."

"Indeed." There seemed to be this ease between the two adults. For some reason, both just seemed comfortable with one another. Could that mean something. "I do not wish to worry you, but Buffy is dealing with a slayer issue. But she has Willow, Tara, Xander, and Anya with her. She will come out on top as she usually does."

"I hope so." Joyce suddenly felt like things could not be all right. That there was something up with Buffy. But that was just her worrying, right?

A total of thirty six vampires were now between the scoobies and the only opening to the cavern. There were a dozen demons of varying kinds. Some that were just plain feral. Only thing they knew was to kill humans.

The gang formed a line. The two slayers stood between Spike. Anya and Xander were on his side. Willow and Tara on the other side. It was looking really bad for our nice heros at this moment.

That's when Drusilla clapped her hands. All the fighting stopped. There was nothing but silence. "You will have to excuse us. We are at the wrong party." And with that, the vampire waved her arm and she and the others all simply disappeared.

Buffy immediately looked at Willow for an explanation. "What the heck was that? I mean, that was some type of mojo, now wasn't it? It had to be."

Willow looked at Tara who simply nodded. "It was some kind of teleportation spell. Not sure what kind. Or how she got all that power. It's very unusual. I'm not sure that even with the combination of my power and Tara's if we would be capable of that. It's kinda scary."

"I'll say." Faith eyed the scoobies. "Speaking of scary, sorry about what I did. Things might have ended a lot differently if you guys had been involved from the very beginning."

"Hey, we all make mistakes." Buffy came over and put her hand on her fellow slayer's shoulder. "I haven't always done the right thing. I have sometimes gone off on my own as well. Thankfully things always seem to work themselves out."

"Perhaps, B." Faith sighed heavily. "But besides this whole mess I could have made differently, why do I get the feeling that this is just the beginning?"

"Because this is how apocalypses start off." Xander began pacing. "It looks like we have one big battle and it turns out that it's really a bigger battle that awaits us."

"It was kinda anticlimactic." Anya shrugged at all the looks that she received. "Hey, I wasn't that happy with thinking about fighting all those evil things. But it was kinda a letdown how all of a sudden it just ended."

"We need to get back to Giles." Buffy eyed her group. She saw that Willow had her hand on her stomach and that Tara was there rubbing on top of it. "You all right, Will?"

The redhead shrugged her shoulders. "Just been a little fluey or something the last couple of days. That's all. Tara has been taking real good care of me. I think we'll skip the meeting with Giles if that is all right. You can fill us in on everything in the morning."

"That works." Buffy eyed her group. "The rest of us can be on our way to Giles. You two take care of each other. I know that you always do."

Giles eyed the group. Having everyone, including Joyce in his bedroom was a different experience for the former watcher. His living room was something he was still having trouble adjusting to. The library had been so nice in that fashion. Perhaps he would have to remedy that situation and someday soon.

But now, he had everyone to tell his theory of the quite perplexing situation. "I checked. Today would have been the only day that the vampire could be brought forth. I don't understand why Drusilla would just give up. Perhaps there is something more that she wants."

"That was one thing about Dru." Everyone turned to look at Spike. "She didn't always seem to play with a full deck, but she always had a plan. And I'm sure that this is no different."

"Do you have any clue whatsoever that Drusilla could be up to?" Giles was carefully propped up in bed. He noticed how that Faith would not even look him in the eye anymore.

"I never could figure her out." Spike shrugged. "Well, not till it was too late. But she's changed as well anyways. I can sense a difference in her. She's out for world domination. Never was her strong suit before."

"This is complicated. Perhaps a little more research is in order." Giles tried to get up. "But I'm afraid that it will have to wait till morning. I'm not just up to it at the moment. And Willow and Tara are not here, so that means our witchcraft experts are not here either."

"We can give you til morning. Faith and I can do a patrol." Buffy looked at Spike. He was not at a hundred percent, not that he would ever admit to that. "You need to recover. She does know how to torture, doesn't she."

"Dru was always good at that." Spike stiffened. Every muscle in his body hurt. It would be a matter of mere seconds before he was feeling better but still. It hurt like the devil at the moment. And that was good. He deserved the pain.

"So it's settled." Faith eyed Buffy. "The two of us go on a routine patrol. And the rest go home and get some sleep. Luckily slayers can exist on less then normal people."

With that, they all went their separate ways. Well, except for Joyce. For whatever reason, she decided to stay and try and take care of Giles. She just wanted to see him get better, that was all right?

Willow lay on their bed, a wet cloth against her forehead. The magicks they had used had drained her a little. But that was not the real reason behind her being so tired. She knew what it was. She just hadn't figured out how to tell Tara. It wasn't every day you found out something this big.

When they had gotten home, Tara had made her way to the kitchen to make her some tea. That had left the redhead to check the messages. And there was a very important one that she immediately erased before the blond could hear it. That's not the way that she wanted her to find out.

Now, her everything was sitting in bed with her taking turns rubbing her belly and rewetting the washcloth. Just all around giving her TLC. And it was simply great.

But the redhead knew that Tara was more then a little worried about her. And she would have to tell her soon that it was nothing. That it was actually a very good thing.

She sighed heavily. She wondered how this would affect their relationship. Probably make it stronger if anything else. But there was also something else that was at the back of her mind. The fact that she was adopted.

She had never told anyone that. Not even Tara knew that little, or should she say big, secret about her. That was another thing that she had often wondered. Who in the hecatae were her real parents. All she knew is that her father was originally from England. And that her mother was from somewhere in California.

So, really she had two important things to tell her everything. That they were gonna be parents together and that she had no idea who her real parents were. It was gonna be interesting to say the least.

"Willow, what is the matter." Tara's voice was so full of concern. "And don't tell me nothing. I know you and I know when something is up and when you don't share with me, it hurts."

Willow sighed heavily. "Well, that's is something. I knew you'd know. And I'm not hiding anything bad. Not really anyways. Just that the one is so good I want to share it in the right way. The other, I've never told anyone."

That brought a hurt look onto Tara's face. "You haven't even told me yet?"

The redhead slowly sat up. "There are two things. One is hard but easy to tell. Think I'll start there. I found out when I was ten that I was adopted."

Tara had a face of shock. "Do you know who your real parents are? I mean, that's something I never thought of."

"All I know is my real dad is from England and my real mom is from California." Willow shrugged. "Other then that, I have no clue. But I'm gonna find out as soon as this mess with Dru is over with."

"And I'll help you in anyway I can." Tara gave her a gentle kiss. "You know you could tell me that. It makes no difference to me. You are the same person. And I'll love you no matter what."

"I know. It's just something I never shared." Willow shrugged. "Even with the woman I love more then anything and trust with my life, it was hard to share."

"That's a very good thing." Tara kissed her a little more passionately. "Now, what was the other thing?"

"This isn't the way that I wanted to tell you." Willow managed to sit up so that she could look into those blue pools of Tara's. Those eyes that she could just get lost in. "How would you feel about being a mother?"

Those blue eyes were sparkling now. "You mean? Really?"

"Yep." Willow leaned in for a long kiss. "You and me are going to have a baby."


	60. 60

AN Thanks for the reviews. Still working on that book, so updates will come, just not as often as I would like to do for you lovely readers. I have to thank one person in particular. Your belief in me keeps me going and helps me believe in myself. And you've given me some nice twist ideas. Love you Sharron.

Two weeks had gone by and nothing. No peep out of Drusilla or any big bads for that matter. There were still the occasional vampire and demon sighting that both Faith and Buffy took care of easily on routine patrols.

The gang had been researching all that time to figure out what the mad vampire was really up to. It was just a mystery to them all. Even Giles was a little more then baffled. It definitely didn't have anything to do with this ultimate vampire. That had always been a ruse.

But to which end? If she didn't want to unleash this creature upon the world, what is it that she exactly wanted? It was still beyond anyone's grasp at this moment. And that was so not of the good.

The gang still did not know that Willow was pregnant with Tara's child. They were still too happy just basking in the knowledge that soon they would have a little one that was both a part of each of them.

That was something that an ordinary loving same sex couple could never experience. But because of the magicks, these two young women were going to get that chance. If only it were possible without the magicks. A miracle for many couples.

There had been one interesting development during those two weeks. The Magic Box had gone up for sale. It seemed that the owner was tired of all of the little things happening. Vampires coming in, demons wrecking the place, oh and of course the life expectancy of an owner was all of three seconds.

So, Giles had seen fit to purchase the establishment. All of the gang had offered to help run it in between their busy lives. Anya had taken an instant liking to the concept of selling things and making money and she had considerable knowledge of the inventory so she was made a full time employee.

It gave the gang a place to meet other then Giles apartment which was a great relief to the former librarian. He would soon have his own space back. Not that he had much of a life. Yet.

After the Drusilla situation was taken care of, he planned on changing that. But to do that, he would have to have a nice little chat with his slayer. Because that was how he still felt about Buffy, she was and always would be his slayer. And because the fact that he found himself incredibly attracted to her mother would be the bigger reason to have a nice chat with her.

So much happening and yet nothing happening in the little town of Sunnydale. It was easy to see why most residents ignored all of the strange things that happened. But not these scoobies. They knew better. And they continued to fight the good fight.

And the fight was now beneath the town of Sunnydale. It was not in the sewers. That would not be fitting of her insaneness. Of the places that Drusilla had stayed while in Sunnydale, the mansion was the place that she had loved the best. The factory had been livable, but not up to what she would prefer.

So, in a cavern that was not far from underneath The Magic Box, she and a friend had set up shop. It was a rather lovely place once her lackey vampires had decorated it. And of course, she had her dollies.

"How much longer do I have to wait?" Drusilla carried around a little redheaded doll. "Miss Edna is getting impatient, as am I. I didn't like leaving that dance."

The man looked up from one of his many books that were laying around. He was a very familiar figure to the scoobies. He had caused a lot of havoc over the years. "Well now luv." Ethan stood up and came towards the mad vampire. "I'm terribly sorry that I had to make you miss out on that soiree. I'm quite sure that a fun time would be had by all."

"I had not one, but two slayers." Drusilla's bottom lip began sticking out as she began pouting. "I've only taken the life of one slayer. And it was quite exhilarating, it was. And I had the chance for two."

"I know. And again, I do apologize." Ethan walked closer to the insane vampire. But he knew not to get too close. "But there is something very important that I've come back to this place for. There will soon be the birth of something powerful in this town. But it won't happen for nearly nine months."

"Oh! Oh!" Drusilla began skipping around. "The child of the witches. How soon could I forget. I'm all excited. That power will help Miss Edna a great deal."

"Yes it will, pet." Ethan returned to his books. He had found the prophecy about three months ago. It told of two powerful witches that were to produce a child. One that would be even more powerful. So powerful, that if under the right control, chaos and the end of the world would soon not be far away. And that was a thought that the old sorcerer liked very much.

""""""""""""""""""""""

Anya stood behind the counter. The lunch rush had just gotten done. It would now be quiet time. So she wandered around the store and went from shelf to shelf to see if anything needed stocking. That's when the door opened.

Her face lit up right away. She already had that fake retail smile going on. Even though she hated dealing with most people. "Hello sir. Is there something I can help you with?"

He smiled. This was perfect timing. Rupert didn't appear to be around or any of the other scoobies. "I have a list of things I'll be needing. I would be ever so grateful if you could help me to gather them up."

"It would be my pleasure." There was that insincere politeness that every retail person had to learn if they actually wanted to make a profit. And Anya seemed to be an expert at it already. "What is on the list?"

Ethan pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "This will do for starters. I shall be back for more when the time arises." He also put on his best fake smile. He was so good at charming people. And this young lady was no different.

Anya hustled and got all the ingredients on the list "That is quite the impressive list. And you say you'll be back for more? Well, I thank you in advance for your patronage."

"Thank you my dear." Ethan took the large bag from her after he had of course paid with cash. "It is indeed a pleasure to do business with someone as lovely as you."

"Again, thank you." Just as he was about to go out the door she said, "and please do come again. We value your patronage."

Ethan chuckled. If she only knew. If any of those scoobies knew. So much for promises. He remembered what he has said the last time. That he would be good. But that was never going to be the case. He could not think of one thing in this world that would ever change him. That would make him actually want the world to be peaceful. He just wanted chaos and he wanted power.

""""""""""""

"I just had the funniest of thoughts." Willow was sitting at her computer in the living room of her and Tara's apartment. It was a Saturday afternoon and they had no classes. So the young witch was doing research. On two fronts. One, of course the Drusilla one which was proving pointless and the other more personal one.

"And what's that, Sweetie?" Tara was sitting on the couch. She had several magick books spread out with her. They would need some very powerful defenses and offense that could still be kept under control the next time that they faced off with the vampire. Doing what she did took power. And that scared the young blond. After all, the woman that she loved was carrying her child.

"Well, what if Giles was my real dad?" Tara looked up from the book that she had been reading. "I know that there are how many people out there in England. And there are how many people here in California. What would the odds of Giles and whoever my mother is hooking up. It would be interesting to say the least."

Tara smiled so big. "It would be interesting. But in a way, it would be very nice as well. I mean, Giles would make the most wonderful father in the world. In a way, he already does to all of us."

"I know." Willow smiled at her everything. "It's really a silly thought. And maybe just wishful thinking and all. But it still just keeps running around in my head."

"It's not silly." Tara's radiant smile lit up the room. "And again I say that it would be one of the best presents you could receive in the world."

Willow shook her head. "But not the best present." She got up and made her way over to Tara. "The best present I ever got was meeting you. And you being in my life. A second close is the fact that you and I were able to create a life together. Now that is real magick."

As soon as Willow sat down next to her, Tara kissed her sweetly. "You are the greatest gift that I ever received. This child of ours is just like this big time bonus. One that I'm eternally grateful for." Her eyes got a little sad. "Are we gonna tell the gang soon? I mean, if you want to."

"If I want to?" Willow put her hand on the blond's cheek. "Sweetie, this is the greatest news we've had since we basically got hitched. The two of us having a child, the rest of the gang will probably burst."

"That's true." Tara sighed. "I just am a little scared. This is something so good. And I'm used to something bad happening after something good comes into my life."

"I know what you mean." Willow pulled Tara so that her head was on her shoulder. She wrapped her arm around her shoulder. Her other hand took hold of Tara's. "But we've got one another. And that's what counts. We'll get through anything as long as we stick together."

Tara sighed. "I don't know what I would do without you in my life. You make everything so much better."

"You'll never have to find out." Willow kissed the top of her head. "We're stuck together. For life."

"Mmm. Pleasant thoughts." They sat in silence for several minutes. "Any luck on the research?"

"Not really." Willow sighed. "I can't figure out what Drusilla is up to. And there just isn't enough information to go on with the parental search. It's getting frustrating."

"I have an idea." Tara sat back up. "We planned on it anyways, going back to learn more from the coven. Well, why not while we're in England, we could see if there are any records of your father. You don't even have a name for him though. That's gonna make this rather difficult."

"Nearly impossible." Willow squeezed her hand. "All I know is that he went to Oxford." The redhead's eyes widened. "I just remembered something, so did Giles!"

Tara's smile grew. "Sweetie, remember how many people went to Oxford. It may be a coincidence that he did. Or, maybe he does know your real father. It's just so many possibilities at this time. We've got to narrow it down a bit."

"I know." Willow began pouting. "It's just that now that I'm old enough, I really want to find out who my real parents are. Especially now that we have a little one. I'd like to give them a little bit of a history about their past. I may not really be Jewish after all. Adopted and all. And I want them to grow up knowing who they really are. Unlike me."

"It doesn't matter." Tara took her hand. "Look at me. Look at the family I came from. They were people that anyone would hate admitting they were related to. But they are still my blood family. But I've not got a real family. One that no thing in this world can take away from me."

Willow smiled. "You and I were connected before." She took Tara's hand in her own. She gently placed it on her stomach. "And now, the connection is stronger then ever. It means that neither of us will ever be a part."


	61. 61

AN Glad there is still want for this. Just wondering one thing, am I getting predictable? Hehe. Anyways, thanks for the reviews. And thanks to one in particular. You still inspire me, Sharron.

Spring break had sprung up on the gang. Sophomore year at college had really come and gone so fast already. So many things had happened. And so many things were yet to come. In the life of a scooby, there was always something going to happen.

Quiet was still how to term things on the supernatural front. It was as if all the baddies had gone underground and in hiding. For Buffy and Faith it was like a mini vacation of sorts. They still patrolled every night. And Giles had setup a training facility in the back of The Magic Box. But still, it was eerily quiet for most members of the scoobies.

The one that had changed the most in all of this could arguably be Spike. After all, he had gone from a dead man with a demon inside controlling his blood lust thoughts to a dead man struggling with a demon and a soul.

And that soul was what had nearly driven him insane when he had first received it again. It had been a brutal test to get the bloody thing back. And it had nearly turned him insane. But it was worth it if it made him a better man.

The thought that the vampire could be a better man made Spike laugh. Almost a burst of insane laughter. It was something he had not really done in a few weeks. It was something that he had managed to keep under control. But the thought of him as being a man were too much for him.

There were hints of light spraying about him in his crypt. It was still the nicest place that he could find in any of the many cemeteries of Sunnydale. For he could not live like a man, for he was not a man.

And if he were to stray into those lights, he would soon be reminded of just how much he was not a man. He only wore the look of a man that should have been dead nearly a century ago. And hence, back to the problem.

What was it that he existed for? What was his reason for not being just a pile of ash somewhere. There had to be a reason that he was still allowed to take fake breaths and to pretend that there was a beating heart in his chest.

Then one thought entered his mind. Buffy. The slayer. Of course. That was the whole reason for his existence. Shortly after he had been turned, his sole reason for living was the fact that he could share that dance with the slayer. One that would cost either him or her their existence.

But now, that dance had changed. They now fought on the same side. They were now supposed to be as one. But that was an impossibility. He knew that she loved him. And that he desperately loved her. And that was all of the good. But could they ever share that dance? The one that meant so much?

Spike sighed as he paced around the crypt. There were more important things to be thinking about. His 'love life' should be the last thing on his mind. After all, Drusilla was out there. And her not making a move for this long was something he had never known. Yet his thoughts could only seem to go to Buffy.

""""""""

It was lunchtime. Xander had worked long and hard at the construction site. It was wonderful to have a job that meant a good income and one that he was very good at. He had even gotten good at fixing up the various messes left by the life of the slayer. It really did come in handy.

Instead of staying on the site or going out to eat like most of the guys, he instead went to The Magic Box to spend a little time with Anya. Even though they were finding lunchtime to be a little busy, he decided that whatever little time they could share would be better then nothing.

This particular noon found The Magic Box relatively empty for once. He could hear the sounds of Buffy working out in the back. Or was it Faith? Or both. Images ran through his mind that Anya would probably slap him for. But he didn't care. He let them flow. So much so that he didn't hear Anya.

"Xander!" Finally her turned to look at her, having a very goofy grin on his face. "I know that look. You are thinking about sex. It better be sex with me or you are in trouble."

Xander straightened up quickly and lost the grin. "I only have eyes for you." He immediately came over and gave her a couple of short kisses. "Who's in the back?" Change of subject and hope that Anya wouldn't notice.

"Oh, two sweaty slayers." There was that look on his face again. "Ha! I knew it! You were thinking of sex. And not with me. You are thinking of Buffy and Faith in various lesbian sex acts."

"What?" Xander shook his head to clear it. "Well, maybe. But you know you are the only one that I want. Always."

"Whatever." Anya quickly went behind the counter and opened up the register to start counting the money. It was the one thing that she could do to get calm again. And this conversation was mildly irritating her.

Xander decided not to push. He hadn't noticed that Willow and Tara were at the big round table, books scattered everywhere. Willow also had her laptop with her. The two were in serious research mode at the moment. Who better to interrupt.

"Hey ladies!" Xander said with a lot of enthusiasm that he really didn't feel at the moment. "So, what's up?"

"Nothing much, as usual." Willow didn't even bother to glance up from the computer screen. "Whatever it is that Drusilla is up to is far beyond me. And we can't find any timed rituals to coincide with what we do know. It's still a buckus."

Xander's eyes caught the computer screen for a moment. "Why are you researching Oxford? You thinking of going to another school there big red?"

Willow looked up quickly at Xander. "No reason. Just happened to come across the site and besides knowing what other opportunities are out there is a good thing and I wouldn't be going anywhere right now not with the big news and..."

"Willow?" Xander sat down next to her. "I know that babble. I know that look. What is it that you aren't telling us? You have so got something hidden."

"What?" Willow looked all fluster. "No, nothing hidden. I have no idea what you are talking about it has nothing to do with me and Tara and the fact that we are expecting..." The redhead smiled sheepishly. "Special ingredients from England."

"And I buy that, not!" Xander stood up and called the entire scooby gang over to the table. Giles had just gotten back, so the entire gang was now there. "These two are hiding something, I just know it."

"Xander, just leave them alone." Buffy sat down, wiping sweat off from her with a towel. "You are just getting paranoid since nothing has happened over the past few weeks. Just relax."

Giles eyed the two witches. He could tell instantly that there was something that they were not sharing. "If this is something to do with the most recent events, I would rather that you didn't hold back."

Willow and Tara locked eyes for a moment. They had planned on setting things up with a little party or something. That way there could be a celebration afterwards. But obviously for their friends, it was something that they could not wait to find out. And that was all right with them.

Willow took Tara's hand in her own. "All right. There is something that we've known for about two weeks and haven't shared with you. And I'll warn you, it's of the biggest. The big, bigger then big, biggity big big big."

Buffy smiled. She knew that Willow was enjoying this and it was something of the good for once. "All right. When you get like this I know it's something good. Just spill already. Please."

The redhead nodded. "You see, Tara and I are going to have a child." There was just stunned silence for a moment. "I'm pregnant. With Tara's child."

"Oh wow!" Xander quickly sat down. "No offense, but that was the last thing in the world I would ever expect. I mean, me or Buffy having a child. Evan.." He shuddered at the thought. "G-man having a child. But you two?"

"Yo!" Every one turned towards Faith. "I think it's like some majorly great news. Think about it, a miracle. Kinda like me not trying to kill you all."

That brought a little chuckle out of the gang. Giles came and put one hand on their backs. "So, I do believe that this is cause for celebration. Something of a rarity for us. Any suggestions?"

"Party!" Xander got up and started dancing. "We's gonna have an awesome time. Party the night away." He looked at his watch. "Damn. For now I have to go to work. But we can all meet here later to have the festivities."

"All right. Let's just plan on here after nine, shall we?" Giles looked at the group. "And even though it has been slow, please all of you do be careful."

"""""""

Drusilla watched. She did not like this. This sitting around and doing nothing. And her vampire and demon lackeys were getting impatient as well. But they were not what concerned her.

What concerned her was the human that she was allowing herself to be aligned with. Which was a very first for her. She had used them as lackeys before, but never had counted on them for as much as she was Ethan.

Ethan seemed oblivious to her stares. There was something that seemed off about him. Something that he was not sharing with her. And that would lead to surprises. And surprises could lead to not good things.

The insane vampire decided that he needed to be checked up upon. And that was not as easy said as done. It would take a special person to see what her supposed partner was up to. And she knew the man would deal with her.

So, she snuck out into the sewers. She did not tell anyone what she was up to. After all, she was the one that was in charge. It was none of their business what she was up to. And that was finding out what she needed to know.

It took only a short time for her to find the place that was well hidden. She entered through the sewer entrance for there were still those dangerous rays of the sunlight pouring down. And she would rather not get a tan.

The place was filthy. It was truly disgusting, even for those that were used to living in sewers or making do with what they had. Of course, she had never gotten used to that. And this place made the sewers look inviting.

There were protests as she made her way to the door. One little glare and all those fools were soon silent. It was not a good idea to mess with this vampire. Not when she had her own little mission.

The man stood there, no surprise on his face. A scar on his face and his eye that could barely see. But a grin quickly grew. "I know why you are here, vampire. I have the information that you seek. But it'll cost you. It always does."

Drusilla stepped closer to the man. "Rack, darling. You know that I could easily do things to you. Even with all the magicks at your disposal. Do you think it is really wise that you be saying that it is going to cost me?"

Rack only laughed. "I've missed you. It's hard to find people that are both insane and so lucid. It's a nice change from all those pretending to be sane." He shrugged. "Anyways, I know. But I could be of help. When the little girl is born, she will indeed hold power. And I'd like my own turn at taking some. That's all that I ask."

Drusilla shrugged. "I'm sure there is enough power to go around. But that's not the reason I'm here. You know that I knew about the child. What I want to know is about my human playmate."

"Ah." Rack nodded. "I should have guessed. I've had dealings with Ethan as well. You are wondering if you can trust him. Don't even think you can for a second."

The vampire's eyes lit up. "The reason, if you please."

Rack shrugged. "It's quite simple really. He found out something that the witch, the redhead wants to know. That the child that will bring such power to the world, it's Ethan's grandchild."


	62. 62

AN Sounds like most liked my little twist there. Don't know what else is gonna happen. But I'll try and keep it as interesting as I can.

Faith still wasn't used to patrolling with anyone. It had always been just her before she had come to Sunnydale. Not even her watcher had come along too many times. That had always been something that she had wondered about, especially after seeing how Giles and Buffy were together.

So tonight, she was out on her own. She had told Buffy that she would not be patrolling. But there was not much that would stop her from doing that task ever again. She still had too many sins to make up for.

The raven haired slayer remembered her comment from just a few days ago. It was just after she had heard one of the best things she had heard. That the two witches had shown their great love for one another and had produced another little witch.

Miracle. It was the best way to put it. For even in lives that had magick and demons and all those fairy tale things, two people finding their way to one another and then being able to show that love was plain and simply a miracle.

It seemed that too many things could and would seem to get in the way. With the way that people grow up these days, the past is sometimes nearly impossible to get over. And especially when their pasts were as colorful as her own.

That was the one thing that seemed to be getting to the formerly rogue slayer. The fact that all the scoobies, except for Giles, had a honey. Even Buffy and Spike were making these googily eyes at one another all the time.

But not her. She was still alone. And it was probably best that she end up alone. For who would be able to handle all of her? There was the slaying thing for starters. And then, she knew she wasn't the easiest person to always get along with. And the most important thing would have to be the fact that she was a murderer. That she had taken human lives.

She shuddered as she walked past a headstone. One that made her flash back to two years ago. It was Principal Snyder's empty grave that she had just walked past. It was empty because the man that she had thought of as her father and had trusted more then anyone had eaten him that day so long ago while she sat in a coma. At least, that's what the gang had informed her.

Her pace quickened as she thought about Mayor Wilkens. The one person that she had thought truly believed in her. But why? Just because he had shown her a little affection. Or was it because following the path of evil was indeed easier then the struggle with the path of good.

All these thoughts were beginning to make her head hurt. Why did she still have to focus on the past. There really was no need for that. She now had some good in her life. She had Buffy and the entire gang watching out for her. Supporting her like no one had ever before in her life.

Then why was she going back to the past? Why could she just not let it go? Would there ever be a day when she could ever release all of that pain and anger and be a whole person again? To believe in herself?

Her mind was so full that she didn't see or hear them coming. Twenty vampires tackled her to the ground and stunned her with an electric prod. As she lay there half dazed on the ground, she could see a familiar shadow. One that she had just recently screwed over big time.

"Little slayer." Drusilla's smile was that of an insane person. "You was a naughty girl, trying to play me for a fool and all. I think it was time that you was punished."

Faith tried to move, but that had been one hell of a jolt she had received. Her eyelids grew heavy as she felt herself being picked up. There were no more words spoken. So, she did the one thing she could think of. 'Red!' Her thoughts tried to get to Willow so desperately. 'I'm in serious trouble girl. That insane vamp has got me. Don't know where she's taking me. I can't stay awake much longer. Please, get the gang. I need...'

"""""""

Spike sat on a headstone watching. He was always impressed with the way that Buffy fought. Tonight was not an exception. It was the rule. She was both powerful and graceful at the same time. She had more style then any slayer he had ever come across.

The blond slayer was busy fighting two vampires. It was the first demony activity they had come across in the two and a half weeks since Drusilla had shown up. Either she was really up to something or she had the locals well under her control. Spike knew the answer to that one without even thinking about it.

Buffy stumbled a little and the good vampire instantly jumped to his feet, ready to enter the fray. He need not have worried. The slayer quickly recovered and made quick work of both vampires. She leaned on her knees and tried to catch her breath.

"You could have helped, you know." She smiled big. She really didn't care if he had or not. What she cared about was that he was with her. That was what she wanted more then anything in the world at the moment.

"I knew you had things under control." Spike took a couple of steps closer. "I'll always have your back, you know that. Well, as long as I got this here soul back I will."

"Good." Buffy walked closer to him as well. "That's just the way that I want it." Their eyes met for only a moment before it happened. The one thing that the slayer nor the vampire ever thought would happen.

Their lips met in one passionate kiss. Both pulled back abruptly. They stared at each other for a moment before they leaned in for yet another kiss. This one lasted even longer and was even more passionate.

They broke a part when they heard a familiar deep voice. "I guess you aren't still pining away for me." Both turned to see the original ensouled vampire standing there with a look of hatred in his eyes. "But that's not important. What is important is if we let things happen. The path that things are taking."

Buffy stood quickly away from Spike and slowly made her way towards Angel. "What are you talking about?"

"I have it on good..." He hesitated for a moment. Those choice of words not really right. "I've been told that there is something coming to pass here in Sunnydale. And it involves my ex and it involves the two witches."

"Willow? Tara?" Buffy's voice was now full of concern. "Angel, you better tell me everything that you know. We have to warn them if they are in danger."

"They already are." Angel slowly walked into the night. It took a stunned slayer and a surprised vampire a few minutes before they quickly followed his lead.

""""""

Tara was in the kitchen making tea for Willow and herself. It seemed that her everything was finally able to calm her stomach, but tea still seemed to help a great deal. So, she was brewing up another pot for the two of them.

She had just poured them both a cup when there was an explosion from the living room. Forgetting everything else, the blond witch took off and was there in an instant. What she found was something that could almost be amusing if it weren't for the fact that involved her pregnant everything.

"Damn it!" Willow muttered to herself. "A simple little locator spell and I nearly blow up everyone and everything in these apartments." The redhead was on her feet in an instant, cleaning a little of the debris up. "This has been happening ever since I found out that I was pregnant." The redhead was muttering to herself, still unaware of Tara's presence.

The blond slowly entered the room and snuck up on the redhead. Willow jumped a little as Tara wrapped her arms around her from the back. "You shouldn't have been trying any spells anyways." There was the pout that Tara knew would follow. "Only because it's so late. We really should just be getting ready for bed and not even bothering with the tea."

Willow turned herself around in her lover's arms. "You just want me in bed with you, that's all." She raised an eyebrow. "It has been a while you know."

Tara leaned in and kissed her gently. "You know that I'll always want you. But right now, I think we both need our rest. You've been putting in so much time with the research between finding out what Drusilla is up to and of course trying to find out who your real parents are. You have a reason to take better care of yourself. Our little reason."

That made Willow smile instantly. She knew that Tara was right. That she really truly ought to be taking better care of herself physically and emotionally. But it was just so hard to let go of wanting to know who her parents were. Wouldn't it be funny if it turned out to be someone that she already knew?

"I know you're right." The redhead engulfed the blond in a hug. "There is always so much going on. But now, it's almost like there is nothing going on. Well, the big badness of Drusilla. But other then that all is quiet. I think I'm even more stressed over that fact."

"Quiet can be unnerving." Tara held her even tighter. "But for tonight, let's just forget about everything. Let's just concentrate on the two of us, or, should I say the three of us."

Willow pulled back and smiled. "All right. I'll finish cleaning up in here. You finish getting the tea. We'll snuggle on the bed for a bit. And just talk and relax. Sound like a plan?"

"A very good one." Tara kissed her gently one more time before she made her way back to the kitchen.

Willow looked around. The mess really wasn't all that bad. A little magick and it would be as good as new. But she remembered what had happened just a few short minutes before. She had been trying not to locate Drusilla like Tara had thought, but her father. It had hovered right over a location not far from The Magic Box before it went all kerplewy.

But that was just the spell going totally wrong. It had to be. How could her father be in Sunnydale? And if he was near The Magic Box, it could mean that Giles was...

No, that was just a pipe dream. Giles was a great man that she admired in so many ways. And she already thought of him as a father figure. So this him possibly being her real father was just a fantasy that she clung to, right?

She shook her head to clear it and finished with the little hurricane that she had inadvertently created. Her tummy started to grumble a little and she realized that she hadn't really eaten anything all day long. That had to stop. She had to take care of the little one growing inside of her. It was too important and it was a part of Tara.

Stretching, the redhead made her way to the bedroom. She had thought about going to the kitchen to make herself a sandwich but as she soon saw, she knew she didn't have to bother. There were all sorts of goodies on a tray along with the tea. Her everything spoiled her every time.

"Knew I was hungry." Willow pulled back the blankets and snuggled in close to Tara.

"I figured you wouldn't have taken the time to eat." Tara picked up one of the many sandwiches. "Now you best be taking care of yourself. I want you healthy. I want you around for a very long time, missy."

"Yes ma'am." Willow chuckled softly. She took the sandwich from her partner and started to nibble away. It felt all good at the moment. It felt all peaceful. She took a sip of her tea when something scared the hell out of her.

"What's wrong?" Tara noticed the sudden change in mood. "Is something happening?"

Willow listened to the voice in her head. Faith was in trouble. But what kind of trouble and where was she. It was bad though. For Drusilla had her. "We've got to get the gang together. Drusilla's got Faith."


	63. 63

AN Thanks for the reviews, always much appreciated and keep the motivation up. Although, I've got one person in particular to keep me motivated and inspired. Hehe.

Faith's eyes slowly fluttered open. She couldn't help but wonder how long she had been out of it. It seemed like forever. But she wasn't sure. Nothing was she sure of these days. Except that she had to make up for her colorful past.

The coldness of the chains made her realize that she was chained to a wall. Or more accurately, a cave wall. She had to wonder if they were in the same place that they were when she had played little hero and nearly gotten herself, Buffy, and that good vampire killed.

Whatever they had done to her, it was making it hard for her to focus on anything at the moment. So things were not crystal clear. There were sounds. Familiar sounds. But nothing that she could pinpoint what exactly they were.

The slayer closed her eyes and thought back. She had been a good child, or so she had always thought. Even her drunk mother had told her that every once in a great while, when she was sober enough to form actual sentences.

She had been a wild child in the sense that she would always be the one to take chances and always be the one to try things first. And it had gotten her into trouble more then one time. But that was just the price of being brave.

Now that she thought about it, perhaps it wasn't exactly bravery that was what had motivated her. Perhaps it was her need for attention. She always seemed to need to be the center of attention, ever since her father had left she and her mother all alone. Could that be it?

Her head was starting to hurt again with all these serious thoughts. And of course from whatever thing it was that Drusilla's lackey had used on her. But it was the serious thoughts that were getting to her. The ones that she never allowed herself to have before.

Faith opened her eyes again. Her sight was still rather blurry but it was a little clearer at the moment. It was clear enough to see that Drusilla was only a few feet away. And some guy, that Ethan if she remembered correctly, was sitting at a table going over some books or what not. If the rogue slayer knew her people, she could tell that the vampire was watching him like a hawk. No trust there, that was for sure.

She flashed to a thought. She remembered just before everything went black that she had tried to contact Willow. Her thoughts went back to the witch, trying to figure out if her message had somehow gotten through or not. Because the size of the party that was going on made it crystal clear that she had no chance in hell of surviving.

The rogue slayer sighed heavily. She didn't even care so much now as she had just before the vampire had put that whammy on her about having a honey. No, there were more important things in life. Like being able to forgive yourself for your past sins.

She knew that she would never forget the harm that she had caused. Or the harm that others had caused her. But she had to learn to forgive those that inflicted the pain and also herself for being so stupid and causing pain.

But that was easier said then done. Especially with what she had done. You can't very easily make up for taking a man's life. Even if it was only on accident. How in the world could you forgive yourself for something like that?

There was nothing in the world, short of a miracle, that could get her to forgive herself of that one. And while it still lingered, she knew that she would never be able to fully believe or trust in herself again. Even when others did.

Drusilla suddenly turned herself towards the slayer. An evil insane smile crept across her face. "My dolly's awake. I'm so happy I get to play now." She clapped her hands together and slowly made her way over to where the slayer was chained.

"Hey, insane vampire." Faith held her head high. She might not live that long, but she was gonna go out in her style, with a bang. "So, how insane have you been lately? Or is this as good as it gets?"

The vampire shook her head. "I don't like it when one of my dollies talks back. I get so upset." She pulled a doll from behind her back. "Miss Iris was a naughty little dolly. And look what happened to her."

Faith tried not to let her eyes widen. The dolls porcelain eyes had been gouged out. The ears appeared to have been filed off. And the pretty white paint was definitely no more. It was not a pleasant sight at all.

"I do so love punishing naughty girls." The evil smile on the vampire's face grew larger. "And you were very naughty, slayer. You did not keep your promise. You helped those goody two shoes. And now, it's time that you pay."

"I wouldn't be so quick about that." The male voice startled both the vampire and the slayer. "Drusilla, my fine vampire, we will need a slayer's blood, both mothers' blood, and the babies' blood. If you are to gain the power that you want my dear."

Drusilla morphed into vampire mode. Faith was surprised. She thought that the vampire would not do that unless upset or the feed was upon her. The facial features of the vampire quickly changed back to humanlike before she turned towards Ethan.

"Thank you for the reminder." The vampire strode away from the slayer like she was nothing, just something that was getting in her way. "Do we really have to wait til the baby is born? I do so hate waiting."

Ethan looked her directly in the eyes. "It is the only way, I'm afraid. So, we have serval months to play babysitter to the slayer and to keep her friends from coming and getting her."

Faith shook her head. What was going on? She could tell that Drusilla did not trust Ethan. And a vibe was telling her that Ethan had his own agenda in all of this. And now she knew for sure. Willow, Tara, and their unborn child were in grave danger. This was beginning to suck big time.

""""""

It was a larger then usual gathering at The Magic Box. And it was an unusual mixture as well. The regular scoobies was one thing. But to have two ensouled vampires was quite another thing. Both that still had feelings for a certain blond slayer.

Giles stood at the table while the gang sat around the table. They were waiting for him to give them direction. But he was uncertain of how to proceed. In the background, both vampires paced and would not be stilled.

The silence was broken by Giles. "You are certain that Faith said nothing about where she might be taken." Willow nodded. "And you have tried a standard location spell?"

"We both have." Willow slumped a little in her chair. "I think that there is something powerful blocking our attempts to find Faith. And I'm thinking that we really don't have time for all of this." Her eyes wandered to Angel. And at that moment, the vampire was glaring at his counterpart. Spike just smiled bigger at him.

"We have to figure something out." Buffy suddenly got up and began pacing back and forth. "Faith is finally trying to make up for her past. She's been doing nothing but good. We really need to save her."

"I second that." Xander shrugged at the looks. "She came through for us. We need to come through for her. That's all I'm saying." But there seemed to be more meaning behind that statement. At least to Anya there was.

"I don't think that Tara and I can really come up with anything." Willow sighed. "I mean, two very powerful wiccans here and we can't even get a locator spell to work. How much does that suck?" Absently, her mind went to her stomach. Her fears were also for her child. She had to wonder what effect that all the magicks she had inside her was having on the little one.

"There is one spell that I might know." Tara's voice went back to the shy, nearly stuttering girl that Willow had met so long ago. It made Willow's heart melt all over again.

"Is this a dangerous spell?" Giles looked up from the text he had been reading. Not that there was going to be much information in his texts. But he had to try.

"I-I'm afraid it can be." Tara sighed. "Especially with Willow kinda being not in control."

Willow's heart fluttered at the sound of the stutter. It had been so long since her girl had used it. And she cringed at the darn lack of control thing, even though it was true. "I tried a simple locator spell earlier. And it went majorly kerplewy on me. It was not of the good."

Tara took the redhead's hand in her own. "I have a theory on that one." All eyes were now on Tara. "I think that our little one already has some magick abilities. It's added to Willow's already great source. That's why it went all kerplewy."

Willow could not help but smile at her everything's use of the word kerplewy. "That would explain it. Because I've been oh so careful knowing that thingy is still out there that could mean that I could destroy the world if I don't use control and if I should not keep that control and with all my good friends and especially my two special ones in my life that's the last thing that I would want to do."

"Indeed." Giles smiled. "Well, do you think you'll be able to compensate for this added power with which you seem to have access to?"

The redhead looked at Tara. Her girl was the one that would know better. Tara always seemed to know better, especially when it came to the magicks. She trusted her completely. She trusted her with her life.

"I can help her compensate." Tara blushed a little. "It's a spell that takes the two of us anyways. I'd have be her anchor. Keep her here."

"If that's the case, I think now is as good as any a time." Giles stood up. "Will you be needing any ingredients?"

"Some." Tara sighed. "But it's mostly about the words and the power that the two of us can generate. That's the key to this particular spell."

"Very well." Giles turned to see that Buffy had stopped pacing. She now stood between Angel and Spike. It seemed that she was caught between her past and her present. "Buffy, I think that you and Angel and Spike should maybe hit Willy's place. And any of the other places you've gained contacts over the years." Giles turned to Angel. "You do have your cell phone still." The vampire simply nodded in response. "Very well. The rest of us will help Willow and Tara with the spell. And we will keep them safe. We need to find Faith and fast."

"All right Giles." There was almost a gratefulness in Buffy's voice. Not that she really wanted to be alone with Angel and Spike, but at least it was giving her something physical to do. Buffy was and always would be action girl. "Hopefully these two can behave themselves."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Like I have anything against the original poof there. We used to work well together when we were all evil. I think we can do it now that we're all on the side of good and all."

Angel shook his head. "We never worked well together, Spike. But for good, you know I will. And Giles, we might want to hurry." At that moment, he realized that he had forgotten to tell everyone about the information he had received. Well, for now it was no biggie. But soon it could be.

Willow watched as the two vampires followed Buffy out the door. A sudden vibe hit her. "Giles, I'm not so sure that those two alone with Buffy is such a good thing. I think that something is going to happen."

Giles nodded. "Precisely. That's why I sent them out."

The redheaded witch stared at Giles for a moment. It took her a bit to realize that he had just admitted to intentionally sending one of the two vampire, if not Buffy, to their doom. This was a side she hadn't seen of Giles. And it made her shiver.


	64. 64

AN Thanks again for the reviews. You guys keep me going. Especially a certain one that gets embarrassed when I mention her by name. Love you my sweet. Anyways, on with another chapter.

Giles sat at the counter of The Magic Box. It was a great place to own. Here in Sunnydale, it seemed to draw those with unusual beliefs. And course there was the demon underworld that most humans chose to ignore.

But tonight was not about his business. Tonight was about saving a formerly rogue slayer. One that had truly repented and was now in serious trouble. And of course it was about putting an end to Drusilla once and for all.

He thumbed through the tome. The one that he had not told the others about. The one that told of the prophecy. One that he had forgotten about. And it was basically dumb luck that he had found it that very night and reminded himself of.

When he had first read it when he was first being trained to be a watcher, he had thought that it could never take place. What were the odds after all of two vampires with their souls restored existing at the very same time. The odds were astronomical.

But here in the world that he lived in, they had come true. Angel had long ago been cursed with his soul as a punishment. So that he could perhaps do good in his undead life. And now Spike had fought and regained that which made him close to being a human being again. All he needed was a heart to beat again in his chest and he would indeed be human again.

The other part of the prophecy was also startling. One he never thought would happen either. One that told of a slayer falling in love with both ensouled vampires. That had been a ridiculous thought so many years ago.

But he had witnessed the pain and anguish and the happiness of Buffy's youthful love with Angel. But that's what it was to him. A youthful love. Something that could never be. Even if Angel had been human, there seemed to be something about it where their love was doomed.

And then Spike. Giles had always said that for a vampire, he was almost soft. That there was something about him. And now that he was nearly human again, he could see why Buffy had so quickly and so hard fallen for him. It was a love that could truly last even though Spike was a vampire.

Again, Giles thumb ran over the page. The one that told of two vampires with souls existing and that the love of a slayer would be something they had in common as well. It would come in a time that would be of apocalyptic times, as usual. And it would require the sacrifice of one of the three.

Giles slammed the book shut. It brought looks from Anya and Xander who were at the large round table going through tome after tome. The watcher smiled a bit and sighed heavily. They would only think he was frustrated because they did not seem to be able to find any information.

That was only part of it. The larger part was the fact that he had just possibly sent off his slayer to her death. True, the prophecy said that one of the three. But for some reason, in his heart, he knew. He knew that soon Faith would be the lone slayer in the world.

""""""

"That was just loads of fun." Buffy walked between her ex lover and her current. Or, at least she thought you could call Spike her current. Things on that front were still new and all.

"Willy is still the same old guy." Spike grinned from ear to ear. "I used to love him so. Now he's just an annoying little man that needs to get a backbone."

"He did tell us where to go." Angel looked around. Always to be the one on the alert. "Although us going to Rack's is not such a good idea. That guy deals in hard dark magicks."

Buffy sighed. "What other choice do we have?" She too started to look around. It was as if there was something following them. "We struck out at all the other places. It seems that no one is willing to talk right now."

"That would be Dru's doing." Spike eyed his two comrades. They were both acting all nervous and jumpy. He himself really didn't feel that way. In fact, he soon felt that he would be free. Free from what, he wasn't sure.

The slayer shrugged. "Most likely. But it really doesn't matter. All we know is that we don't know much. That Giles was getting squat. And now all of our connections are less then cooperative. So, it's on to the one thing that was given to us. What is it with this guy anyways?"

Angel stopped suddenly. The other two did as well. "He uses people. He gives them highs, but he takes away their energy. It's the vicious cycle. And one that we're about to see."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy looked around. She couldn't sense anything. And she couldn't see anything. "So, where is this magicks dealer. I so want to take him out."

Spike sighed heavily. He too knew why Angel had stopped. He stuck his hand out and it disappeared. "We've already found his little hideaway. Now comes the fun part. We get to meet the man that has used and abused people for years."

Buffy shuddered at the thought. She slowly made her way into where Spike's hand had just disappeared. The two vampires were right at her side. It was a disgusting sight. It was those scenes you see when they show crack houses. A couple of teenagers were passed out on the floor. And there was one jumping around.

The slayer shook her head. Exactly like a drug dealer's place all right. "So what now?"

"You can enter." The door opened and there stood this tall man with hair down to his shoulders. He had a scar across his face. "I'm Rack. And you three are looking for information. Come in and I'll see what I can do for you."

Angel quickly made his way in front of the Buffy. Doing that protective thing as always. When they got inside, the room didn't look any better then the reception area. Rack was in the middle of the room. The three stood shoulder to shoulder, with Buffy in the middle and Spike on her right.

"Slayer." Rack nodded. "I'm surprised that this is the first time that we've seen each other. I could have been such a valuable source of information for you over the years. Of course, there would have been a price."

"There always is." Buffy eyed the man. Definitely not trustworthy this one. "So, you can tell me what the big bad is that I need to know about."

"If you can come up with the price." Rack began swaying a little. "It's not much really. I've always wanted it, but never have I had a chance to have it before."

This made the slayer more then suspicious. "What is it that you want from me?"

"You have nothing I want, slayer." Before any of them could react, Rack had both Angel and Spike in some kind of magickal force field. "They don't make'em like these two. And I want a little taste before I give you the information you seek."

"No!" Buffy tried to go after Rack, but found she was basically cemented to the floor. "What are you going to do to them?" Buffy looked from Angel to Spike.

Rack shrugged his shoulders. "One will not survive. And that's a good thing for you. But which one will it be." He came and stood face to face with the slayer. "Why don't I give you the choice. Your ex or your current. Which will it be slayer?"

""""""

The back room of The Magic Box was as good as anyplace to do the spell that the two witches were going to do. It was only dangerous because Willow might just get lost in the nether realm. And neither liked the thought of that. Especially with the little bundle growing inside of the witch.

There were pillows setup around them. They had formed a circle and blessed it already. The only thing left to do was for Tara to anoint Willow and they would be ready to send the witch to the world where things were a lot clearer. But also could become confusing to one that was not supposed to be there. That's why it was so important that Tara hold her to this realm.

Tara slowly anointed her witch with the special mixture that the spell required. Their eyes kept in constant contact as they were doing this all by feel and by habit. They knew what the other was going to do before they did it.

The chant started. There was this slight breeze that began to blow. And then Willow felt this power surge throughout her. Their hands moved back and forth, making a circle. A bright ring formed for a moment. Then, the power that Willow had felt began to buildup. She knew that she could no longer hold on.

Willow let the force overtake her and she fell back on those pillows. She could feel her mind just letting go. But her thoughts were of Tara. Always on Tara. She was the one thing that could make her happy and the one thing that kept her from losing her control.

The redhead opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times. The world that she now found herself in was so bright. And it felt so peaceful. It was so different from the world that she had grown up in and was still a part of.

There was suddenly a little voice in the back of her head. One that made her smile instantly. She was glad for it because truth be told, she had been getting lost already in this world. But the voice pulled her back.

'Tara, I'm not sure where to go.' Willow looked around her. Again, an unfamiliar world was unfolding before her. The trees were a golden orange and bright. The grass was a wonderful light shade of yellow. And the purple sky was brightly lit by a pink sun that she could feel warm rays hitting her face.

She slowly walked down the worn path that was before her. 'Just think of Faith. Think of those you need to find. And it will come to you.'

Willow smiled. As always, her everything knew exactly what was going on. She knew what to do. She really did love her more and more every day. So the witch opened her mind and let it go to those that she sought out.

Her main thought was of Faith. For Faith was in grave danger at the moment. And therefore she was the one that they needed to find as well. But her mind also sought Buffy. For after what Giles had done earlier, she was sure that something was going to either happen to her or to one of the two vampires.

Always, there was that soft wonderful voice of her girl's in the background. Not really saying much. Just things. And mainly how much that she still loved her. And would always love her. Those simple words kept her wanting to go back.

The path that she was on came to a sudden stop. She looked around the brightly colored world. The path that she had just been on had disappeared. It didn't give her the greatest feeling to know that where she had just come from had disappeared.

There was this flash in front of her and a very familiar figure stood in front of her. Her eyes widened. She had forgotten how beautiful she had been in life. And she had forgotten just how much the older woman had meant as a mentor to her.

"Miss Calendar?" Willow took a tentative step towards her former teacher. The one that had helped a little, without Giles knowledge, her art of witchcraft. And of course had helped her excel with the computers.

"Hello Willow." Miss Calendar smiled brightly. "I'm sure I'm one of the last persons you would have thought to see here. But I assure you that I still try to look after you and the other scoobies. Especially Giles."

Willow smiled. "Of course you would Giles." Their love had not ended even after death. It gave the witch a very pleasant feeling. "Are you here to give me guidance? A message? Something like that?"

Miss Calendar laughed. "You really haven't changed that much over the years. Oh, there are changes in you. But basically, you are the same shy girl I met so many years ago. And that's a good thing. Because you are a good person. Don't change too much. Stay the way you are and you'll do well."

Willow blushed a little. Only Tara talked to her like this. "Thank you. And not that I don't like the compliments or the advice and all, but you know what it's like. The world is in peril here. And the faster we are able to act, the better it will be for everyone."

"I'm afraid that not this time." Willow got a confused look on her face. Miss Calendar came up and put her hand on the witch's belly. "This is what is important. You cannot do anything til the little one is born. You have to wait. If you do anything now, it will only cause the death of Faith, Buffy, Angel, and Spike. And I can also see the death of Giles and Xander. You must do nothing. Or there will be a lot of deaths that could have easily been avoided."


	65. 65

AN I'm back. I hope you like this chapter. It was different to write. Thanks for the reviews. And inspiration from my special one.

Faith watched the coming and goings of the demons. So many varieties were going in and out. She was not sure of all of them. She wasn't sure if Giles would know half of the breeds that she saw. All she knew was that they were all evil and at any second they could easily turn on her.

Basically the only thing keeping her alive at this point was the fact that she was so important to whatever was supposed to be happening shortly. That much she had gotten from Ethan's conversation with Drusilla.

Drusilla was still walking around in a half insane state. It was still mostly the fact that Ethan could keep her from turning on her. But Faith had learned not to antagonize the vampire. At least not while she was chained up and pretty much helpless.

The former rogue slayer used her slayer hearing to try and find out exactly what was going on. The last little mind message that Willow had sent had not been much with the information. They really hadn't learned anything new as of yet.

All she knew was that Buffy, Spike, and Angel were off on some rather dangerous fact finding mission. Going to all the seedier places in the wonderful town of Sunnydale. And there were a lot more of those then the average person would expect.

Giles hadn't really been rather knowledgful as of late. It seemed that there just were not a whole lot of books on the subject. And of course the council was of no help. In fact, she was surprised that they had left her alone this long.

And Willow and Tara were doing the witchy thing and doing a spell. But for some reason Red just didn't seem as confident as she usually did. But she didn't say anything. She just let her know of all the information that she had. Which wasn't much at the moment.

So, Faith was still all alone. And it didn't seem very likely that there was going to be a rescue any time soon. It was a good thing that a slayer really could heal and deal with a lot of things normal humans can't.

The formerly rogue slayer closed her eyes for a moment. She could still smell the putrid smells. And she could still sense all the movements around her. In fact, she could sense something more. Without opening her eyes, she smiled an evil smile.

"Ethan." The slayer kept her grin. "What brings you to my side of the cave? A better view? I mean, even all filth covered I'm still some hot shit. And you so need me."

Ethan shook his head and chuckled for a bit. "You are quite the spunky little slayer. That will help you live longer. And if I have my way, this ritual won't be performed."

Faith's eyes widened considerably. She couldn't keep herself from looking around. "Yo! Brit man! You might wants to rethink the talking like that right now when everyone can here's ya."

Another chuckle came from the sorcerer. "You think with my resources in magic's that I won't be able to keep them from hearing. Or seeing that I'm here. I lost the faithful little puppy that seems to need to follow me all over. Just relax for a minute. I just want you to know that I'm trying to figure a way out of this for both of us."

"And why exactly is that?" Faith eyed the sorcerer with a great deal of suspicion. Anything evil or formerly evil, including herself, could not be trusted. Or at the very least had to be dealt with caution.

"I wasn't recruited for this by choice." Ethan sighed heavily. "But there are reasons for why I stay. Ones that I can't share with anyone at the moment. You will just have to trust me. That's all."

Faith shook her head. "Trust with me is not necessarily an option. But I will say this, I will help you out if and when something should happen."

Ethan nodded. "Good. It's nice to know that I have an ally." Faith rolled eyes. "Not ally. But just someone who will watch my back while it's helping her out."

Faith watched him walk away. Still so much going on and still not so much in the way of information. But that's the way things go a lot of the time. So, Faith would take what she had. And hoped that the scoobies could find out what was going on and form a plan.

"""""

Willow stared at the spirit of Miss Calendar. It seemed a pretty big prediction she had just stated. Everyone could die if they did anything. What kind of prediction was that? One that they had never come across before. It was always do this or don't do that. But never do nothing.

Jenny could see the look on her face. And she knew what she was thinking. It was not the kind of thing that one would want to be told. "I know it's not the news that you were looking for. And I'm sorry for that. But it is what I know and what I'm supposed to tell you."

This made the young witch sigh heavily. "I just came for knowledge. And I got some that's for sure. Just not the kind I had been looking for. And the fact that my unborn child seems to have some fate in the world."

The beautiful spirit nodded. "I fully understand that. I never got the chance to have a child. I found my perfect mate after it was too late. Giles and I could have been something in life. But that was not meant to be. And in the next life it could very well be. You have found your perfect mate. You are the luckiest person right now. Even with all of life happening. You and Tara will be able to face anything together. And the child you carry will be able to handle themselves rather well."

"That's good to know." Willow sighed heavily. "But I would still feel better knowing that things would work out. But I know that there are no guarantees in life. That we just have to do the best that we can."

"You are very wise." Jenny smiled. "But then I always knew you were. Just keep trusting in yourself and you and Tara. Everything will work out. But there will, as always in life, be casualties in life."

"A lesson I've had to learn over and over." Again the redhead sighed. "But I've learned that for the greater good, that we all must make sacrifices. If it takes one now, I know that anyone of us would be willing to make it. I think even Anya."

"You've all dedicated yourselves to the fight for good. You will make whatever sacrifices are needed." Jenny smiled big. "You will all make the tough choices in life."

"I know we will." Willow smiled her sweet innocent smile. That's when she heard Tara's voice again. She closed her eyes for a moment and pictured her true love. "I think..." She trailed off when she opened her eyes. She was no longer in that fantasy world. She was now in some dark limbo.  
Her thoughts were still all a jumble at the moment. She really didn't learn what she had wanted to. Yes, she had learned a lot. A lot of things that she didn't really want to. But not the things that she wanted to. Her thoughts just couldn't be straighten out.

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around. There was her everything, those blue river eyes staring into her own emerald ones. It took a minute to realize that everyone, besides Buffy, Angel, and Spike were gathered around her. She had to wonder why.

"How long has it been?" The redhead's voice was rather weak. Even to herself it sounded distant and far away.

Tara took her hand in her own and gave it a nice comforting squeeze. "We were starting to wonder about you. You had us all worried." The tone of her voice said it all. The love was there.

And it instantly warmed the redhead's heart. Her mind was still so wrapped around what Jenny had said that she didn't hear Xander or Giles talking. Her mind kept focused on Tara. And only her seemed to be what she could hear and understand. It could just be a side affect of the spell. Or it could just be the fact that they were always connected now.

Tara smiled sweetly at her. It was as if she could read the other witch's mind. "Giles asked what you had learned. I know that you are having trouble focusing. So just focus on my voice and me."

Willow smiled sweetly back. "Already doing that. I found out something. That we should do nothing. Not until after the baby is born. That if we try anything now, we will cause the deaths of someone."

Finally, Giles voice penetrated the fuzz that was Willow's mind. "You mean that us sending out Buffy and the others was a mistake?"

The redhead managed to nod. "That's what Miss Calendar said anyways."

"Jenny?" Giles nearly choked on his dead lover's name. He quickly cleared his throat and began cleaning his glasses. "She's the one that came to you in this dream land?"  
"Uh, yeah." Willow hadn't realized what she was letting slip. "I'm sorry to have said it so bluntly. My mind is still really fuzzy. And I'm trying to remember everything that I learned."

"It's quite all right." Giles quickly put his glasses back on. "Just not what I thought you'd be saying. Please, do go on while it's all fresh in your mind. I want you to tell me everything you know."

"The other thing that I really remember is that she said something bout our child." In an instant, blue and green eyes were meeting. "She said that our child is the key to this somehow. That it will have a great deal of power. We just have to hold off doing anything til it is born."

"That is quite interesting." Giles bolted out of the workout room. Within seconds, he was back in the room and he had one of his rather thick volumes with him. He was flipping through the pages. "I do wish I had remembered this sooner." It took him a minute to find he right passage. "Here it is. 'born unto two young witches will be a child. This child will have untold power. And it will one day, an untold day, be the savior of the world'." Giles slammed the book shut. "You two are those witches."

Willow and Tara just looked at each other. Both could not believe that their love had produced the savior of the world. That because they loved one another and were powerful, that they were able to create a life. It was both a wonderful and a scary feeling.

"""""

Buffy struggled against the invisible cement that seemed to have her glued to the floor. Angel and Spike were still imprisoned on either side of her. And she knew that one would soon have to die. Or would they?

"Why must I choose?" Buffy glared at Rack. "Why does one of them have to die? Isn't there another option?"

Rack's lip curled up into a sneer. "There are always option my dear young lady. I'm just not sure that you will like the choices that you have."

The slayer nodded. "I realize that there are things in life that we don't like. And as the slayer I've had to make some really tough calls. Why should this situation be any different?"

Rack laughed softly. "You are feisty. But then all slayers I've come across have been. Until they all die."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Been there. Done that already. I died once. And I'm still here and feisty as ever. You can go ahead and try and kill me. If I don't come back this time, there'll be another slayer to take my place. It's just the way things are."

The evil sorcerer smiled larger. "Not really. The slayer line now goes through Faith. If you die, only Faith will be the slayer. But enough of the banter. And enough of the talk of you dying. I want your decision. You should have made up your mind by now."

The slayer sighed heavily. "I can't choose."

"Then it will be both." Rack shrugged. "It would be a pity to see a waste of two strong warriors, but again, it's your decision."

Those blue eyes of the slayer went back and forth. She never had really gotten over Angel. His love always seemed to haunt her. But when she looked at Spike, she felt something that she never had before. She felt better about herself and more at peace with herself when she thought of Spike.

And that was the sad but true answer. That when it came right down to it, she knew who she must choose. As she'd heard more then once in her life, you have to follow your heart. And that would mean choosing Spike every time.

Rack eyed the slayer for a moment. Another fit of laughter came from the evil man. "I already know your choice slayer. And so do your two lovers. I just wanted to see if you could come up with it on your own. Which you finally did. So, it is time."

Buffy's eyes grew in horror. Rack put both his hands back. But instead of something happening to Angel, a bolt hit both the vampires. The minute it did, their magickal cages disappeared. As did whatever had been holding Buffy to the floor.

Their eyes were feral as they eyed the slayer. They had both vamped out. It wasn't long before both were attacking. Buffy had all she could do to deflect their attack.

"What the hell?" The slayer managed to get out between blocking her two lovers' blows and trying to get in a lick or two of her own. "I thought that you said that one of them had to die?"

"They do." Rack levitated himself off from the ground. "I just didn't say how, now did I slayer. I do so love to watch a good fight. Especially when the outcome is so in doubt."

The slayer would have loved to glare or make one of her comments. But she had her hands full. Angel and Spike were two of her most powerful foes ever. And now she was having to fight them both. And the odds of her winning were not looking good.

The fight lasted and lasted. It wasn't too long before she felt the blows taking their toll. Blood was dripping from her head and her mouth and her arms. She seemed to be seeing stars.

And when she looked at her two foes, there seemed to be hardly a scratch on either of them. And they seemed to be getting stronger and stronger. And she had no weapons to speak of. Things did not look good for our slayer.

And that's when the unthinkable happened. Angel came up from behind our slayer. And he snapped her neck. Buffy fell limply to the floor. Angel growled a victorious growl. Until Spike came up with a chair leg and stabbed him through the heart.

Rack applauded as he floated back down to the ground. "Bravo! Bravo! I hadn't imagined that outcome. I had imagined Angel dying. That you and your lover would turn on him. But never in a million years would I have thought that the slayer would die."

Spike growled deeply. And before the sorcerer could react, he attacked. His neck snapped in an instant. "Just the way she died. So that's the way you died. You bloody bastard."

There was only silence for the longest time. The slightest sound seemed to echo. Spike stared at the lifeless body of his love. The one woman in how many hundreds of years of existence that he had fallen for. And would have done anything for. And now, there was nothing.

He picked up her body. There was nothing but ashes of Angel. So there was nothing that he could do about that. So, he would just have to tell the gang the story. The story of the final moments of arguably the greatest slayer ever to have lived. And one of the only vampires with a soul.

It was rather sad how both had to die. That Buffy had to die at the hands of her ex lover that had a soul. And that Angel was stabbed in the back by his former partner and still somewhat friend. And all because of some whacked out evil sorcerer.

Without knowing it, Spike let out another major growl. It was too much. Too bloody much indeed. So many lives had been lost over the years. He had taken his fair share of them. But nothing was hitting him like this. And he didn't think that anything ever could.

When you fall for someone and they are taken away from you so violently, it is something that you can never really get over. Their love will always stay with you. And it will be what keeps you driving yourself until you possibly go insane.


	66. 66

AN Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews. Appreciate it. Glad to be back so soon. No guarantees of such swift updates. Life too much in the way. Anyways, on with another chapter.

Willow screamed as she woke up. It was now two weeks since the incident. The incident that had taken the slayer away from them. The original slayer was dead and gone. There had been a funeral, but only her mom and the scoobies had come.

The redhead woke up every night with these same terrors. They were beyond nightmares. That would not do justice to the images that played out in her head. Ones of how it must have appeared as Angel snapped Buffy's neck.

And of course, there was the guilt. The all overwhelming guilt that she found herself feeling. If she had not been doing that spell and in that dream land, she could have been here to warn Buffy through a mind mail. But because she was stuck where she had been, there was no way of contacting only Tara.

And it gave the witch a lot of guilt and that lead to these terrors that she had every single night. Ones that would not stop. Ones that would not go away. And now, there was this big empty feeling. One of her closest friends was gone. And there was no way to bring her back.

That had been her first thought. To find some kind of spell to bring back the slayer. But she remembered the tales that Tara had told her. Most resurrection spells, even done properly, the people would come back wrong. If not zombies or that sort.

It was frustrating to say the least. She had all this power at her disposal and added power with the little one that was now only about three months away from making its debut. And of course the strength that Tara had always given her.

Tara was there with her arms around her as she had been every night since these terrors had started up. The blond witch was also having nightmares. But she would not tell her everything not just yet. For her nightmares were different.

Her nightmares dealt with the fact that she was now going to be responsible for a life. And not an ordinary life either. One that was going to be some big savior of the world as people knew it. Now that was a big thing indeed.

The blond witch could feel her everything trembling as usual. Those nightmares were just too much for her to handle. At least she was not on her own. Neither would ever be on their own again. Not if they had any say in it.

Slowly, the redhead's breathing slowed in her lover's arms. The warmth, the comfort, and the love was calming her down and making her feel so much better. It was such a comfort that she knew that everything would be all right. As long as they were never to part.

Tara lay back down, Willow laying her head on her shoulder. It was the same routine as it had been the past two weeks. But she didn't mind. She could almost understand the guilt that her everything felt. It had to be so much of a burden to put on yourself, knowing that if you'd had the information just a few seconds sooner, you could have possibly saved your best friend's life was a lot to deal with.

She gently stroked that ever so soft red hair. It felt silky in her hand. Just to match the personality of the person she loved. Soft and smooth and gentle. Well, when not protecting someone that she loved.

Tara closed her blue eyes. She knew that sleep would not come for her tonight. No. But she could at least rest. And think about something that she knew Willow had already been thinking about. And that was the fact that they all wanted and needed Buffy back.

What Willow didn't know was that there was the possibility of getting the slayer back. But Tara wasn't sure if the price was too great or not. She would have to do some major research before she mentioned it to the others.

She just remembered that what her mother had told her when her grandmother had died. There was a way to bring people back, but when it was a natural death, they would not come back right. That it was their time and they should not interfere with nature and it's plan.

But there was a different kind of death. One that was not natural. If it was caused because of a spell, then there was the possibility that the person could come back just fine. But the danger of that was if the person was being pulled out of heaven or hell. That could make the difference.

So, Tara wrapped her arms even tighter around her everything and let her sleep. She needed her rest especially with the little one growing inside of her. It was time for Tara to do the worrying for them both. And she would. She would find out the answers that she so badly needed. All of the scoobies needed.

""""""

Xander sat out on the balcony. The clear night was something he was used to. The stars, the full moon, the knowing that evil lurked out there at every corner. He was now used to that. Had been ever since the day that he had met Buffy.

Buffy. He sighed heavily. He had come out here to think. To actually not think would a be better way to put it. To try and forget about all that had happened the last two weeks. And thinking about the town of Sunnydale with no slayer to protect it was a lot.

The air and the smells made him remember. Remember all those times that he and Willow had gone out on patrol with the slayer, their best friend. Even though a certain watcher had been adamantly against it, they had gone out with her anyways. And had gotten quite good at helping. Or at the very least at needing with the rescuing.

He chuckled at some of the memories that brought up. One of his not favorite, but one that stood out was the one where the three had met Dracula. And how Buffy was like hello really is the real deal while Xander had gone on with the wisecracks.

A solitary tear rolled down his cheek. He was an emotional guy, at least compared to most. But he was bound and determined not to cry. Not this time. He knew in his heart that Buffy would not have wanted him to.

For even though at first she had fought hard not to be the slayer and tried not to do her duty, in the end she had realized that she was the slayer. That she was actually happy fighting evil. That the slayer was an important gig.

So, no tears for his best friend. No tears for the woman he had once had a huge crush on. No tears for the woman that seemed to be what all of them had strived to be. But never came close.

The carpenter put his hands in his head. It hurt so much. As did the heart that still beat in his chest. Pain was part of his life. But he knew one thing. That as long as he remembered the love, the friendship, the comradery, that she would always be in his heart. And could never truly be forgotten.

""""""

Anya stood at the door to the balcony. A part of her wanted very much to go out and comfort her man. But another part of her knew that she must give him the space that he needed to grieve on his own.

She had not been a part of the scooby gang for that long. And to be honest, she had not really been that close to Buffy. Or really allowed herself to get that close to any of the scooby gang for that matter.

Part of it was her demon side that seemed to never want to leave her. But the bigger part was learning to be a human again. And the one thing that she clearly remembered was the hurt. The betrayal. And that a human just could not heal that easily. And that's where her vengeance days had come in.

But now, there was no vengeance to be had. What could you do that hadn't already been done? Spike had killed both Angel and the evil sorcerer that had caused her death. What more was there to be done?

All there was now was to grieve. And the ex demon was just not sure how exactly to go about that. Tears were supposed to be a part of the grieving process. She had watched as Tara and Willow had held tight to each other and the tears had poured out.

She could have sworn that she had seen Giles shed a few tears as he comforted Mrs. Summers. And Mrs. Summers had really been with the tears thing. It was heartbreaking to watch.

But now she was here with the man that she loved more then anything in the world. And he had yet to cry. Not one tear had Xander shed. It was confusing to her to see the man that she loved not cry and everyone around her cry. Was she supposed to?

The ex demon sighed heavily. The rules had definitely been so much simpler and easier when she had been a demon. Hurt, kill, maim, eviscerate. Didn't matter just as long as the job got done.

But humans, there were emotions. There were rules. There was confusion. There was just no answers that she could see. And where was she to turn to get theses elusive answers? No one seemed to have the answers of why. Why people die and why others go on to deal with the pain.

""""""

Giles was shaking a little. It had been two weeks, but every time that he thought about his slayer being gone, it was just too much for him to handle. And the funny thing was, he thought about it a lot. For he had taken up residence at the Summers house. He slept on the couch.

Tonight, the air was crisp. It was exactly what he needed to calm his nerves, that was for sure. The cup of tea in his hands could also help calm his nerves. Well, he wasn't sure anything would ever really do that again.

When he made his way out back to the two wooden chairs, Joyce was already sitting in the two seater, wrapped tightly in a nice blanket. She appeared to be staring at the wide open expanse of stars that hovered above them.

Slowly and quietly, he walked up to her. "Would you care to join me Rupert?"

Giles smiled a little to himself. "I was hoping you would like the company. I would appreciate the used of that blanket. There is quite the chill in the air tonight."

Joyce pulled up the blanket and the two snuggled into one another. "I don't know how I would have gotten through the past few days without you. You really have been there for me."

"Nonsense." Giles took her hand underneath the blanket. "You would have been all right. I know that Buffy lived as long as she did, not only because she was one of the best slayers ever, but because she has a strong gene pool. You are a strong woman. And I saw a great deal of you in her."

"Thank you." Joyce gently squeezed his hand. "I was afraid that when Hank and I divorced that she wouldn't have a strong male presence in her life. You were exactly what she needed at the right time. Unfortunately it held the slayer business as well, but at least she had you to guide her through it."

"I just wish I hadn't had to send her out." Giles sat up a little. "It just seems that I was the one that sent her to her death. Which in a way, that's the truth. A watcher is to prepare their slayer for battle and eventually for death. I just hope that at the end, she was prepared."

Joyce sighed heavily. "You did. From the accounts of Buffy and the others, you were the best watcher that ever was. Wesley was quite good, but he was too into the rules. You bent them for her. And I know that's another reason that she lived as long as she did and was able to be as happy as she was."

The two looked at each other for the longest time. It was something, clicking between the two of them. Maybe it was just their shared grief. It was almost like a husband and wife having to comfort and console each other after the loss of a child.

But they weren't husband and wife. They were watcher and mother to a single young woman that unfortunately had to give her life to save the world. For a second time she had to give her life. That was their only connection.

Or was it? Their eyes held for the longest time. Both acted at the same time. Both leaned in. Both felt it at the same time. It was pure passion. It was both forgetting and remembering. Forgetting that death had just occurred. And remembering that life was still going on. It was a kiss. And so much more.

""""""

Spike sat out in the cool crisp air. He sat in a particular spot. One that he sat on every single night since her death. It was as if he was watching over her headstone. For he felt that he had failed to watch over her in life. It should be him that was nothing, not her.

He was watching over her. It seemed that every single night since her death, some creature of the night had tried to desecrate her headstone. And the vampire wouldn't allow that.

But he also tried to patrol. He knew that according to whatever prophecy that the witch had learned about in fantasy land that they were supposed to do nothing. Which was not in his vocabulary. And without an active slayer, someone would have to watch over the town of Sunnydale.

That was what she would have wanted, for life to go. For Willow and Tara to be happy and raise their child. For Anya and Xander to get married and start a family of their own. For Giles and her mother to find someone. For Faith to continue on the path of redemption that she had started down on.

And for the only vampire with a soul to keep on living. Well, at least existing anyways. For in reality, he wasn't alive. He was a walking undead thing that had a soul inside of him. No heart beat. But yet, that heart ached.

It was a powerful hurt. One that in life he had thought he had felt when he had been so cruelly rejected. And of course the time that Drusilla had left him. But nothing compared to this. This was a loss beyond words. And nothing could ever make up for it. The only thing that could ever heal him now was for Buffy to be alive again.

And Spike knew that was an impossibility. He knew of great magicks. And resurrecting someone just didn't seem to be in the cards. And it was probably for the best. For Buffy had served her time and given her life in the end.

The full moon was bright tonight. It seemed to light up all the pain that he felt. And he couldn't help but think how ironic that was. That his undead heart that could not beat felt so much pain. When Buffy's unbeating heart could no longer feel anything. But that was life. Life was full of irony. And it was full of pain. But it was life. And it was always, always worth living.


	67. 67

AN I'm glad that you liked the last chapter. It, well, was hard and easy for me to write. It's not the end of the healing process. Only the beginning. And to my muse, love ya as always.

Faith looked around her. There was an almost chaos to the goings around her. The only thing that even felt somewhat calm and serene were the moments that Ethan managed to sneak over and talk to her. They were formulating quite the plan at the moment.

But that's not what had the slayer thinking. It had been only just over two weeks since the incident as all the scoobies had come to start calling the untimely passing of Buffy. And the rogue slayer was now the only slayer that lived.

And this only slayer was still wanted by the watcher's council according to an old contact of Giles'. So she wasn't all that much of help. Especially trapped inside this cavern with a bunch of demons and an insane vampire.

That had been something to see. Drusilla was never of the sane, that was for sure. But to have seen how she reacted to the news of Angel's death was something to behold. She went through twelve of her minions before Ethan had used some kind of spell to rein her in. Who knows how many of these evil types that the slayer did not care about would have died.

But then, the vampire's rage could have lead to her own demise. So she was grateful that Ethan had done what he had. But it wasn't because he cared in the slightest. It was because they so needed each other to survive.

The chaos running around her was a lot like what was going on in her head. Some would not have always said that she was a sane person. Well, she definitely acted out on her feelings a lot. And it had gotten her into much trouble in the past.

But this chaos was different. This chaos was that of dealing with emotions. Ones that she never thought she would have to. For she never thought she would outlive Buffy. Buffy was the good slayer, the one to have survived so much. Unlike herself that was just cruising for something to happen to herself.

But there was something else. There was the fact that she had never ever thought that she would actually be close to Buffy or any of the scooby members. Especially after trying to kill all of them at one time or another. And of course going totally evil on them.

But she had. She had become very close to Buffy. They had been patrolling almost every night side by side. And they had talked. Conversations that the other scoobies had never heard. Ones about her fear. Faith hated for anyone to know that her real deal was pure fear.

It seemed that Buffy had understood that feeling. The blond slayer may have gone out to fight the baddies all gung ho like, but there was that underlying fear that it could very well be this one time that she would not return.

And now, Faith faced the world alone. Well, not totally alone. For as soon as they kicked the insane vampire's ass back to hell, she would be able to rejoin the scooby gang. And then, she would have to do the hardest job that anyone would have to do. She would have to replace the slayer.

Not that anyone could ever replace the slayer. That was just ridiculous. But she would continue to fight just as Buffy had. It was her way of showing her respect. She would continue to keep on the straight and narrow. And she would die to defend the world just like B had.

""""""

Giles sat in the Summers' living room. It was a place that he really hadn't been too often while Buffy was alive. They had held most of their meetings either at the library or then in his home and then of late in The Magic Box. So, sitting here was not what was usual in the past.

But things change. And change rather quickly in life. So quickly that he could not believe what his thoughts were at the moment. True, he was still reeling from the death of the young woman that he thought of as his only daughter. But could they be what were responsible for what was going on inside his head?

The large tome he was holding nearly slipped from his hand. And he did not want that to happen. For it was rather late and for the first time in the several weeks of Buffy's death, Joyce seemed to be getting some sleep.

He put the tome on the coffee table and picked up his tea cup. It was supposed to soothe him. And it was supposed to help him sleep, this particular kind. But nothing seemed to do that yet. And not just because all he thought about was Buffy's death.

No it was because what had happened only a couple nights previous. For he and Joyce had kissed. And it is true that he and she had shared that kiss and a little more that night when the band candy hand been tainted, but that was all under a spell. What was this?

The kiss had nearly turned to something else before both of them had pulled away. But why had they done that? Was it because they knew that it was because it was only out of grief that they were getting together.

Or was it because there was real fear. Fear that this was what had been building up between the two of them for the longest of times. Could they have been avoiding the possibility that they could have been so much more to each other just because of Buffy and what it might do to her?

The watcher's head was beginning to hurt with all these questions that were floating around in his head. And of course there was still this damnable prophecy that Willow had brought from none other then the one woman that had really made him fall hard for her.

Talk about confusing. Not only was this prophecy a doomsday till Willow and Tara's child was born, it had come from the first person that Giles had lost and truly been in love with. And now, with the start of his feelings for one Joyce Summers.

Giles took his glasses off and began polishing them as was now his habit when things were getting to him. So many thoughts and still so many answers floating out there just out of grasp.

His eyes made their way to the stairs. He knew that Joyce was up there sleeping. Or at least making quite the stab at it. Like he really ought to be. But his mind just wouldn't rest. Still so much to do. And so little time to do it.

But what was really going through his mind was the fact that he could just go up those stairs and tell Joyce his feelings. Tell her that something was starting to grow inside of him. And that he wanted to show her exactly what it was that he felt inside his heart.

But he would not. He would be the gentleman. He would let her grieve. And he would give her all the time in the world to do so. Even if it meant that he never got to tell her how he really felt about her.

""""""

Tara was all alone. Well, not really. But for the night she was. She had to sneak out this night. And why would someone like sweet and innocent Tara Maclay be doing such a thing? Well, it was to try and stop the pain that everyone around her seemed to be in. Including her everything.

The blond witch did not like going out at night, not alone. For she knew what things were out there. And with Faith being in the clutches of something evil there was no slayer to watch over the world. And that included her.

Slowly but surely she made her way through the dark night. There was one place that she needed to go. And if she found what she was looking for, then there might just be the real possibility that Buffy could be brought back.

Alas, it was too late for Angel. He had lived his earthly life out when he had been turned into a vampire. Though his soul had come back to inhabit his body, it had long ago been released into the ether and it's place had been kept till the body that had housed it had been destroyed thus releasing it again.

But for Buffy, her body had not truly been destroyed. And her death had come as a result of magicks. The darkest most unpure magicks of all. And this was something that could lead to the resurrection of the one that had died.

And now, Miss Maclay was taking that responsibility upon herself. She knew that although Willow might want to do this, she would not allow it. For the power that it would require would be more then a normal person could handle. But Willow was no ordinary person. Especially with their child inside of her.

A howl hooted, startling the young wiccan. The cave entrance was only a few more feet. But the night was bringing out sounds that she had either never heard or never paid attention to before. And they were startling.

"Someone like should know better then to be out and about on a night like this." Tara jumped at the familiar raspy voice. "And you really should know not to come to this place on your own. Especially if you are seeking what I think you are."

Tara turned to look at Spike. His hair was no longer held straight back as usual. It was really quite the mess. If possible, the vampire looked paler then normal. And there were a few scars on his face obviously from recent battles.

"I just want to help." The blond witch continued past the vampire with a soul. "I won't do anything if I think things will go wrong. You know that I don't condone the use of magicks for personal gain."

"I know that quite well, my blond witch friend." Spike instantly caught up with her and fell into stride with her. "But I also know that we do stupid things for the ones that we love. Especially when that one is hurting somehow. So you'll have to forgive me if I don't just believe you instantly."

Tara smiled and sighed. "You do understand better then I thought you might." She stopped for a moment as did Spike. Again, she really looked at the vampire. "You know better then anyone what it is like to have loved someone and now to have lost them. I've never lost anyone I love that much. Well, besides my mother. And that's not really the same thing."

Spike straightened as certain memories flooded back to him. Memories of his own mother and how her health had been. And then the stupid thing that he had done in trying to supposedly save her. And what he had to do as a result.

So whether it be Buffy or his own mother, if he could just share one more day with them he would give anything. And looking into those oh so caring and loving eyes of Tara's, he saw the same look. She was thinking of her mother. And she was thinking of the affect that losing Buffy was having on her Willow.

The vampire sighed heavily. "You do play dirty, you do realize that don't you."

This made Tara chuckle a little as they slowly continued toward the cave. "I just tell things like they are. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing."

They walked in silence. The entrance to the cave was barely noticeable. If one wasn't looking for it, they never would have seen it. But both Spike and Tara knew what they were looking for. And it could lead to a world of trouble.

Spike lead the way. His eyes kept darting around. There was this sudden thought of danger. Before he could react, Tara held up both her hands. An instant barrier formed in front of the vampire and the witch.

Out of the shadows a figure came. It was only about three feet tall when it finally made it to full view. The skin was rather baggy. It hung off its body. It was the color of a very ripe peach on the inside.

It looked at Spike with a look of unworthiness. Like he was just this insignificant thing. That it wouldn't matter whether or not he even existed. But when it's dark pools of eyes met Tara's blue oceans, there was something else. A great deal of respect shown through.

"You seek what you seek." The creature turned it's back on the two. "Come and get answers. If you think it really is for the best, then by all means follow."

Tara and Spike made their way behind the creature. The cave turned into an underground spring. There was moisture everywhere. In fact, the footing became quite treacherous and the vampire had to steady the witch on more then one occasion.

"The path to knowledge can be a dangerous one." The creature stopped at a rock that seemed to be setup like a desk. "But you already both know that. You are both warriors of sorts. One uses more brawn then brains and vice versa. But you both know that the path of life is never an easy one."

"Right." Spike eyed the creature. "What are you? And what are you selling?"

The creature rolled its dark eyes. "You have no patience vampire. Good thing your friend does. Just relax and listen to my words. You will be justly rewarded in the end."

Tara nodded. "I seek the knowledge. But I vow to only use it if it will not cause harm to the one I wish to bring back or the world in general."

"I believe you young witch." The creature smiled, bringing folds of orangey flesh towards its forehead. Not the most appealing of sights. "That's why I think that of anyone in this world, you should be the keeper of the knowledge that I have spent centuries protecting."

"I am indeed honored." Tara bowed her head. "Am I to become the new keeper of this sacred knowledge?"

The creature shook its head. "No. I will still be the keeper. But you will be the only other creature to ever hear the things that you will need to do what you want to do. Even the vampire will not share in the knowledge that I have."

Spike only shrugged. "As long as the witch here has the knowledge. After all, she'd be the one that knows how to take full advantage of it. So I'll just..."

"No!" The creature moved quickly. "You must stay. For the witch will need you to take her home. This information will overload her temporarily. But she will be fine tomorrow. But you need to take care of her until then."

"All right Yoda. No need to get all snippy on me." Spike crossed his arms. "Besides, no one mess with the people I care about if I can help it."

"Very well." The creature nodded. "You must both prepare yourselves. It's not an easy task."

Before either could say anything, there was this flash. The next thing that Spike could remember was him standing outside the apartment that Tara and Willow shared. And he was holding the blond witch in his arms and she was unconscious.

The door opened quickly. "What the Hecatae!" Willow ushered both Spike and Tara in. "Please, take her to the bedroom." They both got there and Spike gently set her down. "What happened to her?" The redhead turned to Spike and took a good look at him. "What happened to you?"

Spike felt his face. There were cuts on top of the ones that he had already gotten in fight earlier that night. "I'm not sure. How's your girl?"

Willow took a good look at her everything. There wasn't a scratch on her. The redhead looked back up at Spike. "Where were you? Do you remember anything?"

The vampire shrugged. "I just remember meeting up with your girl. I don't remember where or what was going on. Something just ain't right."

Tara whimpered like she was in a great deal of pain. Her eyes flashed open. But it was like there was nothing there. Instead of the warmth that was usually there, there was nothing but a cold blue.


	68. 68

AN Glad all liked my latest chapter. But I've got a slight dilemma. I'm not sure if I should bring back Buffy or not. So, I put the question before my loyal readers. Please let me know. And love to my muse as always.

Faith wasn't sure anymore how long that she had been attached to a wall. Just hanging around she was. But hanging around an insane vampire and numerous demons and vampires was not what she called a fun time.

And neither was the news of Buffy's demise. It still resonated throughout her entire body the thought that she was now all alone. Well, the lone slayer as it should be and was always foretold that it would be.

After all, she and Buffy existing at the same time was not really ever supposed to have happened. And according to all the watcher's chronicles, there had been no other time in history when there were two slayers at once.

Maybe it was supposed to be this way. Maybe it was she that was supposed to live. Or was it that she was in the wrong place at the right time and that's why B died and not her?

So many thoughts were running around the formerly rogue slayer's mind. It was as if it could not be shut off all these thoughts that tormented her. Some she needed to think about. But going over and over B's death and her own living were not something that she wanted to continually be thinking.

For the most part, the young woman was surrounded by death. After all, half of Drusilla's minions were just the walking dead. And most were not of the very intelligent, that was for sure. Faith couldn't help but wonder why vampires weren't more picky on who they turned. Or if it was for this reason. That they wanted mindless minions to serve only them.

Her eyes wandered around the cave. There was Ethan talking to the insane vampire. It was still several months before Willow and Tara's baby would be born. So she could not help but wonder what the evil twosome was now up to.

And she chuckled a little to herself. As always, she was a slayer to the core. She wanted to know what the baddies were up to before they made their move. If she did, the fight would be so much easier that way.

And all this trying to figure out what the insane vampire was up to kept her from thinking only of B. B would always be on her mind, there was no doubt of that. But this way she had something to focus on. Something that could be used for good.

She already knew that Ethan would only share what he thought was necessary for when the time came that they had to rely on each other to take down Drusilla.

The slayer still had not let on that she knew why Ethan wanted this so badly. She already knew what was going on with the sorcerer. That he was not looking out for himself for once but his unborn grandchild and his child. It made her wonder how most baddies would in affect screw themselves over royally just to protect their own flesh and blood. Sometimes she had to wonder about if humans were any better.

She shook that thought out of her mind as she thought of Mrs. Summers. Which of course naturally lead her to B. B had lucked out with the mom department. Hell, Mrs. S had welcomed her the minute that she had stepped into town. Invited her to dinner and everything. And even after she had tried to kill her daughter she had opened up her arms to the rogue slayer. It was a wonder indeed after the parents that Faith herself had had.

But that was in the past. One that she had to remember so that she could learn from it. But one that at the same time had to learn to forget. For no amount of anything she did now could ever make up for her past sins. But she would never stop trying.

A sound caught her attention. Two vampires and a demon that she thought was a F'yarl demon were getting into it. Drusilla clapped her hands. The three barely separated even with this little bit of warning.

The slayer smiled to herself. In a way this was good news. For it meant that the natives were getting restless. Drusilla may not be able to keep them as under control as she thought she could. Of course, there was the downside. With her chained up like she was, if hell broke loose she would probably be the very first casualty.

""""""

Xander watched the clock as it flicked another minute gone in the night. This was just another sleepless night for him. It was just like all the others so far since one of his best friends had lost her life.

And he was still pondering what that exactly meant. Not just to the world, for that was an obvious one. The loss of a slayer, even with an experienced one like Faith, was a major beyond the telling of it kind of loss. What he was wondering was how he and the others would be able to go on.

True, their lives revolved around the slaying and all, but they had still become quite close. Although, they had not been quite as close this past year and a half of college. High school had seen them have a very tight bond. But college and growing up had seen them slowly grow apart.

Yet they always, always seemed to be there for one another. It was just the way that they scoobies had been. And now, he wondered what they would do without a key member of that exclusive club.

A sigh escaped him and he felt Anya wrap her arms tighter around him. She was asleep, but yet she seemed to sense that he was in a bit of turmoil. One that he did not know how to get himself out of.

One thought crossed his mind. Something that the gang had really yet to do since the funeral. And that was just hang out. They had pretty much kept to themselves with the exception of the daily scooby meetings. And that was just informational stuff. There was nothing of bondage going on there.

That last thought brought a little bit of a smile to the carpenter's face. Bondage. In actuality, they had all been at one time or another tied up. But the smile quickly faded as he realized that one of them at that very moment was still very much tied up. And there was still nothing they could or were supposed to do it about.

Another sigh brought another tight squeeze from Anya. He may only be twenty years old, but something had been crossing his mind of late. And with Buffy's death, it had sprung to the forefront. It was something he was not sure if Anya was quite ready for.

But Willow and Tara had already proven that age had nothing to do with it. That they had a bond stronger then most people twice their ages. So that was not a real argument at all.

Again, another sigh. But this one was because he knew what he wanted. He was sure that it could work. But his only worry was that it was too soon for the woman he loved. After all, she was still dealing with becoming a human again. Granted it had been over two years, but it was a lot to adjust to after a thousand years of being a demon. So, what was the carpenter to do. He smiled to himself again as he felt Anya kiss him in her sleep.

""""""

Tara continued to stare into space. Everything that Willow had tried did nothing for her girl. It was as if the spirit inside of her had been sucked out of her somehow and all that was left was now the beautiful shell.

"What the hell happened tonight Spike?" Willow sat on the edge of the bed, her hand holding tightly to Tara's. "I need to know what you two were up to so that I may have a chance of turning my girl back from the vegetable that she is."

Spike took out his cigarettes but thought better of lighting one at the look that the redheaded witch shot him. "Bloody hell! It wasn't me that got your girl into this scrape. I just happened to come along. I tried to protect her."

"I wasn't blaming you." Willow took a deep breath as her words a moment ago sunk in. "Even though it might have sounded like it. I just want to know what she was doing tonight. Maybe that way I can come up with something. Cause if you haven't noticed every single thing I've tried has been a bust here."

"I very well have noticed." Spike swallowed hard. "I'm not supposed to be divulging this information. It was supposed to be just Tara knowing but somehow I got some of the info thrown at me." Another look from the redhead and the vampire knew he had better just say it. "She was looking for a way to bring Buffy back. I should have stopped her. I knew it was too dangerous. But you know what she's like when she's made up her mind."

Willow smiled sadly at the thought. Most thought that she had a resolve that you couldn't fight. But she had nothing on her girl. Tara would outlast anyone, especially when it came to someone that she really cared for.

"You couldn't have stopped her. Not for a second." Willow's voice was beginning to soften a little. "I just need to know all the details that you can tell me about what happened tonight. It might just be her only hope."

Spike quickly recounted the evening. Leaving out the minute details of his trying to stop her. He just told her of the yoda guy and what all had transpired. At least what he could remember. He knew that there were some memory lapses, but that was all that he could say.

"Thank you." Willow got up and did something that the vampire had not expected her to do. She hugged the vampire tightly. "You couldn't have stopped her. A thousand wild horses could not have. But you stood by her and for that I will always be grateful. Now, I just have to try and figure out something. From what you said, I don't think her human mind was equipped to deal with the information that she was given. At least not in the raw form that it was in."

Spike nodded. He knew of a little of magicks being a demon himself. And he'd heard tails of things not going so right when demon and humans tried to intermingle. It was always a risk. And he knew that Tara must have known that. Either the stupidest gint or more likely the bravest woman he had ever known. Well, besides one that is.

The vampire watched as the redhead gathered things from various places in the apartment. Some of the things he recognized and even had used in spells himself. But then, there were strange things that he wasn't sure if it was a good thing to be messing with. But he trusted Willow. He had to.

"This should work." Willow sighed heavily. "But as everyone knows, there are no guarantees in magicks. Or life for that matter. And this is a spell I'm kinda making up as I go. So we'll see how well it goes."

Again, Spike only nodded. He knew another thing about magicks and that was the fact that concentration was the key. The redhead was probably already distracted by the thought that this was her lover she was having to perform a new spell on. And the baby inside of her was probably always in the back of the mind.

Willow took a pink crystal and placed it in a bowl made of clay. She added to it holy water, sage, and something that Spike didn't recognize. He knew that the first things were for life and for healing.

"I wield power on my own." Willow's voice was strong and sure. "But I call upon mother nature herself to aid me in this time. Healing is what I seek. That is all. I need your permission to heal the one that I love."

The redhead sprinkled some purple powder into the bowl. There was a flash instantly. The air seemed to drain out of the room for a few minutes. The lights dimmed. One last ingredient and that was earth from right outside their apartment.

Another flash. The lights came on. Willow quickly made her way back to the bed. Tara's eyes were still open. And there were still no signs of life that she could see. The redhead took her hand in her own. Tears were forming in the corner of her eyes.

"I just don't know what else to do, my everything." Willow fought back the tears and leaned down and kissed her gently. It was sweet and tender, tentative in fact.

Tara blinked her eyes. She looked around the room. She saw Spike standing there, his arms crossed against his chest. "Bloody hell Red! I think you did it with the kiss."

Willow quickly looked at Tara who's eyes were bright and full of life. She began kissing her. "I thought I'd lost you. Goddess, don't ever do that to me again." Tara held her tightly. And knew how lucky she was to still be here to tell her tale.


	69. 69

AN Hmmm. Got a few answers to my lovely poll. And all seem to say the same thing. Kinda the way I was leaning anyways. But you never know with me what I'm gonna do. Hehe. Anyways, to my muse whom I love, thanks for your support as always. On with the show.

Wild eyes popped open. It was as if they'd been closed for years and years. There was no way of telling how long she had been asleep. Or had she been asleep? Was it something else?

The blond looked around her. There was not a whole lot to see. She could not gauge the feeling she had about the place that she was in. Not yet she couldn't. There was something telling her that she did not belong here. Something that told her that it was not her time and yet she was here.

But where exactly was here? Her first thoughts, once she began to focus again, were of a man. One that she had looked up to as a father. Simply, he was the one that would always know the answers or the very least on how to get those answers. But who was this man?

Again, the blond looked around her. It was familiar. There were many concrete statues where she was. And now that her vision was clearing, she could also see that there were a lot of names and dates on these concrete monuments.

She looked down at herself and there was a lot of dirt all over herself. As if she'd been playing in the mud. Or perhaps like she had been buried. She flashed to a time on the beach when she had been buried up to her neck. It was when she was little. It was of some woman that she felt an instant connection with and a man that she knew had some connection to her as well. Though she did not feel it was there now.

The blond slowly stood up. She hadn't even realized that she had been sitting down. Things were that blurry and confused for her. Now that she was standing, she took in the names on the those concrete monuments. One caught her eye. 'Buffy Anne Summers'. Why did that feel so familiar?

Her head began reeling with a pain that she didn't know that she could feel. It was as if the most unpleasant of things were happening. Her mind raced as she felt that she was in danger. Like there was a presence. What was that term? She knew that she and a male had used it in the past. Her spider senses were tingling. She knew something was going to happen.

At that moment, two vampires leapt out of the darkness. They were in full vamp mode and the young blond screamed with all that she had. Yet, she knew in her heart that she knew how to defeat these creatures. Yet, she didn't. It was still not making much sense to her. Any of the goings on were not making sense.

"Here now." A bleach blond man appeared out of nowhere. "It's not right to pick on a damsel. You two blokes should know better then that."

"Spike." The taller of the two disfigured fiends hissed out the name. "You still all good? That's such a shame. You are so missing out on the fun that the dark side brings. But I know you remember that."

"Yes." The bleach blond that the monster had called Spike nodded in agreement. "I do quite remember. But you see fellas, I also know the rewards of being good. And I like to help out the ladies. So why don't we just make this all easy, shall we?"

The taller figured laughed. Before he could say a word, Spike had made his move. And it had left two figures dust. Two wooden stakes in the heart at the same time in a move that was so fast that an ordinary person could not have seen it.

But the young blond did. And she screamed yet again when she saw the two figures turn to dust. "Here now." Spike turned around to face her. "If you keep up this hollering, you'll have every fiend in town upon..." He trailed off as he took in whom he was talking to. "Buffy?"

The blond started to shake. "I have no idea who you are talking about. What were they?"

"Buffy, you've got to be kidding me." Spike took a step towards the blond. She quickly took several steps back. "I'm not gonna hurt you. You don't know who you are?"

The blond shook her head. "All I know is that I woke up in this place. A cemetery I believe. And those two, whatever they were, came at me. Then you showed up. And I don't know who you are or what you are."

"Name's the Spike." The souled vampire just smiled a little at her. "I'm a good guy, I assure you. As you could maybe gather from the brief banter, used to be a real bad ass. But I've seen the errors of my way. Fight on the side of good. Just like you."

"Me?" The blond looked at him, her eyes full of shock. "I'm just a girl. Someone that doesn't know who I am or what is going on. But how can a girl do anything? Really, I don't think so."

"A girl can make a difference, a big one." Spike eyed her carefully. He didn't want to scare her off. "And I'm getting the sense that you already know that deep down. But things are just confusing because you can't even remember your own name."

"Confusing?" The young blond crossed her arms over her chest. "You have no idea about confusing." Just then, there was another wave of vampires. This time three in all. "What the hell?" The young woman didn't hang around for an answer to that one. She ran off into the darkness.

Spike tried to watch her go. But he had his hands full with the three undead that were taking issue with his very existence. It took him a good ten minutes to extinguish their existence from this world. By that time, the blond that he was certain was Buffy had gone into the night. But he had her scent. Hopefully he could find her before anything happened to her.

""""""

Willow sat out in the area behind her and Tara's apartment. It was a common area that was closed in on all sides by the other buildings in the complex. It had a few grills and a few picnic tables and a little playground for the kids. She and Tara had set up some lounge chairs just outside their patio door. That is where she now sat looking up at the full moon.

It reminded her of not that long ago and what had happened with Oz. In one way, he had come back hoping. And it had temporarily caused a little rift between her and Tara. But nothing that they couldn't come over.

And now, this big thing had happened. Tara had, without discussing it with her, taken upon herself to see about bringing back Buffy. And that was both a good and a bad thing. Good because she also felt that if there was a chance, they should bring her back. But bad because her girlfriend had taken it upon herself to do it on her own.

And it had nearly cost her her life. That's what had Willow upset so. The fact that she had nearly lost her everything in one swift move. It frustrated her to no end thinking that if her kiss had not brought her back, she would now be alone. Alone in raising a child.

And alone in fighting evil. It was not that she could not do it on her own, but the redhead had by gotten used to the two of them doing everything as one when it came to the magicks. And they both powered and fueled one another. And more importantly, her everything kept her focused and kept her from going out of control which was still very likely.

With the summer fast approaching, she had thoughts of going back to England so that both witches could finish the training that they had started last summer. That was if they could get Faith back and if they could defeat Drusilla somehow.

That was still quite sketchy as well. For they were told not to do anything or it could cost lives. Well, it already had cost them two of the greatest fighters they had ever known. Would there be more deaths to follow?

Willow herself was not willing to take the risk. Especially with her little one growing so rapidly inside of her. It still amazed her the power that magicks could have. For it was able to create a life when man could not. Well, when two women could not anyways. That was something else.

She took a sip of the herbal tea she was sipping. It was a special blend that was supposed to calm and soothe. And it also was supposed to be good for a pregnant woman. And so, it was supposed to be helping all around.

Her feelings were less then the best at the moment. And she could feel her stress levels rising with all these thoughts. So the tea was not helping in that way. Hopefully it was still helping with the little one.

Her thoughts went back to the real reason she was out here. The fresh air was what she had told Tara that she had needed. The cool crisp night air was exactly what she needed. The stars were beautiful this night. The only thing better would have been if she had been able to share them with the one that she loved.

But at the same time, she was not so sure that time with Tara was for the best. The last time they had tried to talk, and that was just something simple, they had gotten into an argument. Something was between them at the moment.

And Willow knew exactly what it was. It was the fact that Tara had taken it upon herself to do something so dangerous that she had nearly gotten herself killed without talking to her about it first.

In one way, the redhead had to admit a pride. The Tara that she had met nearly two years ago had been so timid and so unsure of herself. She would never have done what this present day Tara had done.

She was now stronger then Willow was. The redhead had to admit that. That Tara was the one that had the strength to carry on no matter what happened. And the strength to do what others may not be able or be willing to do.

But that was also a dangerous thing. At least to the redhead it was. For going off on your own could have very dire consequences. Ones that she did not want to think about her everything going through.

So, she sat alone, wrapped up in a blanket. It was not how she would have preferred to spend her evening. In fact, she would have rather been wrapped up in the arms of her everything. If only holding one another. That would have been how she would have wanted to spend her evening.

And she knew that Tara was inside. She was all alone sitting at the desk in their bedroom. She would be pretending to either be going over her homework or she would be going over a spell book that both had read a million times.

She would be doing anything to keep herself busy and not think about the fact that there was now a little bit of a wall between the two young lovers. One that would eventually be brought down. But for the time being, was a huge obstacle.

And the redhead also knew that there would probably be silent tears. A stray one here and there. Ones that she would just love to tenderly kiss away and make sure that her everything knew that everything was gonna be all right. That they could never be a part for that long of a time.

Willow sighed heavily. The thought of Tara inside like that literally made her skin crawl just to think about it. Was she being selfish? Why was she so mad and taking it out on her everything?

The answer was an easy one. Fear. Fear of losing her once again. That night was so embedded in her mind. There was nothing that would ever make her forget the blank look in those beautiful sea of blue eyes.

And the fear. The fear after the spell that she knew no one had ever done before would make things worse instead of better. That was probably the scariest moment for the young witch. Thinking that she was the one behind her girl's demise.

Willow shook her head. Every part of her was screaming at her to make her way back in the apartment. Yet, she sat still. Breathing slowly in and out, trying to calm her heart and her fears. While inside she knew. Knew that her everything was crying. And was in real pain.


	70. 70

AN So, you guys are wondering is that Buffy that came back or is it someone/thing else? Hehe. Gonna have to keep reading to find out. Hope you like what I got in store. And thanks always for the reviews. And to my muse, always inspiring.

The early rays of the sun were about to peak over the horizon. Spike had searched all night for the mysterious blond. Well, to him, she wasn't a mystery. She was Buffy. There was no one that could convince him otherwise. His heart knew and that was all that mattered.

But the damned ole sun was going to control his search for his love. The one that had made it all worth it suffering the pain and the insanity of having to deal with all the sins that he had done while have the demon inside of him in control. It was a wonder that he could not pick up her scent. He had always before in the past. That was the mystery to him.

Quickly he made his way through downtown Sunnydale. There was one place that he knew he had to make his way to. Even if it wasn't open for business for a few more hours, he knew either Giles or Anya would be there. And then he could gather the scoobies around and tell them about his rather eventful night.

His thoughts went to another slayer. He knew that slayers were built tough. He had killed two of them in his demon days. And they had been the hardest fought battles of any that he had had. But this still had to be taking its toll on Faith. And for that he was truly sorry.

His mind raced with thoughts of going on in his own. But he also knew of the damned ole prophecy. So many things were making it difficult to do what he really wanted to do. The fighter inside of him had trouble just sitting and doing nothing.

And now, there was Buffy to find. For he would argue with anyone that tried to tell him that she wasn't Buffy. And that would even include the woman herself, that's how sure he was that she was his lost slayer.

Spike had just made it to The Magic Box as Anya did. "Watcher's late day?"

Anya turned to eye the vampire. Though she knew that he was essentially good, there were still some misgivings on her part about the vampire. "Always on Thursday. But as of late, I've been opening the shop. He's comforting Mrs. Summers." Her tone when she said the word comforting implied a great deal of sarcasm on the ex demon's part.

It made the vampire chuckle softly to himself. "I know he's been spending a great deal of time with her. Enough small talk, we need to get the gang here and as soon as possible."

Anya had started to turn the key in the lock. "What's going on? Why do we need to round up the gang?"

Spike smiled sadly. "I came across a blond today. One that I will swear till next year is Buffy. But I really couldn't get it out of her. Whoever she is, she needs help. The way she came into this world, I could tell it wasn't natural like."

"That's just nifty." Anya quickly made her way over to the phone. "I mean, if it is Buffy, that's great. But playing an emotional roller coaster like Buffy dying and then coming back would be too much for me to take. And I know the rest of the gang is on emotional edge. Ever since what happened they have been."

"I know, luv." Spike came and stood at the counter as she began to dial. "This past three and a half weeks has been pure hell on all of us. And I don't want any false hope. I just want us to make sure that this girl gets the help that she needs and deserves if she's not Buffy."

Anya eyed the vampire carefully. His words sounded good. But she knew in his heart he was already convinced that this woman he had come across was Buffy. If it wasn't her, there was gonna be one mightily hurt and pissed of vampire. And even if that vampire had a soul, that was still something that scared her very much.

""""""

Xander stood outside of the little place. It was one that he would not normally go to. But he had decided that he had to make his move. With Buffy's death and life just seeming so fleeting, he had decided to bite the big one.

He was standing out side of Sunnydale Jewelers. True, it was too early in the morning for them to be open. But a little window shopping never hurt anyone. He could get a vague idea of the rings that they offered. Then he could bring his best friend down here to help him pick out the perfect one.

In a way, he felt guilty. For he was still alive and so happy. Buffy was neither of those things. And really hadn't been happy in the longest of times either. Maybe her death had been for a reason. So that she could find the peace that she had never had in life.

Man, hadn't he gone over all that like a million times in his head already? When was this never ending guilt trip gonna end? There seemed to be no sight in end, that was for sure.

There was another reason to feel guilty as well. Willow hadn't said anything, but he could tell. He could see the last time he had come over for an unexpected visit. She and Tara were going through something. But what could those two that were meant to be together be going through?

The carpenter sighed heavily. For he knew that every couple had their ups and downs. But seeing the strongest couple he had ever known have their downs scared him. Scared him beyond the telling of it.

For were he and Anya even half that strong? Could they survive all the things that Willow and Tara had seemed to overcome already? Only time would tell the answer to that one.

Xander stretched. It had been a long night. Anya had been having nightmares. Ones that she said that she couldn't remember. But from what she mumbled in her sleep, it had something to do with losing him and the fact that life was far too short.

And life really was too short. So again, that's why he stood outside of a closed jewelry store eyeing the engagement rings. He still wanted to make the most of the time that he had on earth. No matter how long or short that was.

Suddenly, he was tackled to the ground. He literally was seeing stars his head hit the concrete so hard. Finally, he got himself into a sitting position. And his eyes instantly went wide with disbelief.

"Buffy?" The carpenter was rubbing his head. "Is that you?" He knew it couldn't be her. But yet, it was her. "Hey, long time no see. Where've you been?"

The blond looked at him with wild eyes. There was a glimmer of recognition in them. But yet, there was nothing as well. And fear was on her face. More fear then the carpenter had ever seen before in all the time that he had knew her.

"It's all right." Xander started to slowly stand. The wild blond took several steps back. He kept his hand on his aching head. "Not gonna hurt you, whoever you are. Just want to help if I can. So, what's your name?"

The blond looked around her. Then she looked at Xander. Peered directly into his eyes. Again, the faintest bit of recognition. But still mostly just blank eyes staring into his that were full of love and concern.

Xander had to give it one last try. So, he took one step towards her. "I only want to..." Before he could finish his thought, she was off like a shot. And the carpenter stood dumbfounded rubbing his head for the longest of times.

""""""

Tara sat in the living room alone. Willow was still in their bed. Either she was pretending to sleep or somehow had managed to get to sleep. Unlike the blond. She could not sleep. No matter how hard that she tried, she could not let sleep overtake her.

Part of it was the memories. She was having flashes of what happened while she was with that demon. Yoda, as Spike liked to refer to it. There was something that happened while she and Spike were in that cave. And more then just whatever it was passing on the secrets of resurrection to her.

The blond took a sip of her tea. She needed the tea to try and calm her nerves. It seemed that both she and Willow had been going through tea. Whether here at home or at The Magic Box, both seemed to have their tea lately.

Not that it really worked for her. But it was habit. And one that her mother had introduced her to. Along with all those secrets about magicks over the years. Her mother had been one of the wisest and most powerful women that she ever had known. Until she had met Willow.

Willow had this knowledge about her. The first time that their hands had touched by accident as they picked up the books and handouts on the campus of The University of Michigan so long ago. And the power. The power was also just there. Something that Tara knew. And part of her had been afraid of it.

But she also knew that the two were meant to be together. Though she often doubted herself, she still believed in fate. And though she thought herself, at the time, not worthy of someone like Willow, she let herself believe that things would work out the way that they were supposed to.

Sighing heavily, she took another sip of tea. So much had happened since that day long ago. Willow had grown even more powerful. Had even almost destroyed the world. But she had managed to keep herself in check. And now the two were together in every way and even expecting a chile of their own.

But the thing that had changed them the most was Buffy's death. It had affected them all in one way or another. But Willow seemed to be taking it the hardest because she knew that she had all of this power. But she could not use it to bring back her best friend in the world.

And the thing that had the two of them a part now, the blond witch knew for a fact, was the fact that she had gone out on her own to try and bring Buffy back. And that she had nearly gotten herself killed in the process. If Spike had not been there and if Willow had not been able to bring her back...

But the fates had said it was not her time. And she knew why that was. She and Willow were meant to be. And the baby that they were going to have would need both of them in this crazy mixed up world that the scoobies lived in. So she had been spared.

But what now? She and Willow were so far a part at this time that she did not know how they were going to get back on the same page. She knew that communication was going to be a big part of it. And not just the 'mornings' and 'how was class' and 'we have to work on finding spells' and such. It had to be real communication. The two of them sitting down and getting their feelings out.

The blond stood and began pacing. She and her everything were the most important things in the world. But she also knew that she had to think about the things going on. And what happened with that demon. Something happened. And something was still happening.

Her pacing continued as she tried to get the images from last night's dreams clear in her head. There were flashes of a blond. When the images were clear enough, she could have sworn that it was Buffy. But she was gone still. How could it be the slayer that everyone loved and relied on so much?

But the blond was smart. She knew in the world that they lived in that anything was possible. So the slayer could be back. The question would be how? For she and Willow had done nothing to bring her back. Was there another that brought her back? Or was this just a lookalike of the slayer's?

Tara sighed heavily. She stopped her pacing when she saw Willow standing in the doorway. "Good morning." It took all she had not to cringe when those familiar words were spoken. And nothing more was added. "Good morning," the blond witch returned wanting to say so much more. Knowing that so much more had to be said. But she couldn't. Not yet. Neither of them were ready.

There was an awkward silence between the two of them. They looked at each other with nervous looks on their faces. There was still the love in each other's eyes. But just no words for them to express what they were going through. It was hard. The hardest thing that either had gone through. Not being able be with one another in every way like they used to.

Both jumped at the ringing of the phone. It was Tara that finally managed to move to answer it. Anya's voice came through loud and clear. "You and Willow need to get to The Magic Box ASAP. Spike may or may not have seen Buffy. We need you two magick type people."

"What?" Tara couldn't believe her ears. Buffy? But those were just dreams. Weren't they? Not someone flesh and blood and in the real world. "Buffy?" Willow quickly perked up at the mention of her best friend. "We'll be there as soon as we can." Tara hung up the phone and turned to Willow. "We've got to get to The Magic Box. And now. Spike might or might not have seen Buffy last night." And with that, the two lovers were on their way. Their own problems temporarily forgotten.


	71. 71

AN Thanks for reading and reviewing. Sorry if it is dragging out. I know where I'm going, just trying to keep the suspense going. Hope you keep liking. And to my muse, you still and always will inspire me.

It's funny how other people's problems or life in general can make you forget about your own problems. With the tension between Willow and Tara the past few days, it was a wonder that they could even be in the same room. But here they were, walking hand and hand as quickly as they could to The Magic Box.

Looking back, the slayer stuff was always getting in the way of life. It's what had caused a rift between Riley and Buffy before his unfortunate demise. And it's what cost Giles and Jenny precious moments before her untimely death. All the scoobies in one way or another had their lives effected by the slayer gig.

This time, it was keeping a very loving couple from being able to really work out the things that they needed to. For no matter how much you love someone, once the trust and faith in one another is broken, only time and being with one another can regain what was shattered.

And the call to duty had hit home for the couple. For wasn't it over Buffy's possible resurrection that there had started this rift between the two witches. And it was growing every day because of lack of talking. Not just talking, but really and truly communicating.

Two minds were now focused on the task at hand. Getting to The Magic Box and seeing how they could help. There was always the possibility of a locator spell. But that was just in finding where she was. And if this mysterious woman wasn't Buffy, then the spell wouldn't work.

There were also thoughts about how they'd find out how she was brought back. Maybe where she had been. All these things could help them to help her deal with being back. For by what little was said, no matter who this woman was, she wasn't exactly with it at the moment.

Tears formed at the corner's of Willow's eyes. It was giving her great pain and great joy at the same time at the thought of Buffy being back. Joy was obvious. She and the others had missed the slayer a great deal. But the pain was for the fact that if she had been able to deal sooner, Buffy never would have been sent out and would still be alive today.

Those tears were quickly pushed away. There were no time for tears or feeling sorry for oneself at the moment. There were more important things for everyone to deal with. And she knew she had to be focused for the magicks to work.

Tara could see the little glints of tears in her everything's eyes. It made for very guilty feelings on her part. For she knew that part of this was the emotional state that she had created by not telling the whole truth. She never exactly lied to her, but just didn't share everything with her. And now, there was still that rift between them. How was it going to be mended. Tara really didn't know at this point.

She just knew in her heart that it would. For long ago she knew. She knew that there were never two people on earth that were more meant to be together then she and her Willow. That there was something between them that could never be broken. It was just a matter of time.

Both their thoughts were broken by a streak of blond in front of them. They looked at each other before beginning to chase whatever it was that they had seen. For both were thinking it could be one thing and only one thing.

They found themselves at the back entrance of The Magic Box. They hadn't realized that they were so close. But here they were to the place that they had been intending to go to. And the blond that they had been chasing was nowhere to be seen. Both witches were slightly out of breath and stood there allowing themselves to breathe deeply.

There was disappointment on both their faces. They knew that odds were that it was indeed Buffy or the woman that looked like her that they had just lost. But there was nothing that they could do at the moment. So, they both made their way inside.

The moment the door opened, there was someone tackling them. Willow instinctively put her hand up. An instant barrier formed and the attacker was thrown several feet across the room. The form was slammed into the punching dummy that Giles had made for Buffy when he had setup the back room for her training.

Cautiously, the two witches made their way over to where the form lay still. Blond tresses were streaking down a dirt covered face. The skin underneath was quite pale. And there was the sign of a little bit of dried blood on the neck.

Tara made her way to the door to The Magic Box. It wasn't long before everyone but Xander was gathered in the training room. Including Mrs. Summers. She had insisted on coming with Giles to see if indeed it was her girl or not.

Willow carefully rolled over the blond. Her breath caught the instant that she could clearly see the face. She backed away and found herself wrapped in her everything's arms. Though things were not totally smooth with them, they were still there and still loving with one another. And this was the biggest shock that any of them had gone through since they had seen Spike bring in the limp body of the slayer.

"Buffy?" Mrs. Summers tried to reach out to the woman that she thought was her daughter. But her hand was repelled by something. She looked at Willow with a question on her face. "Why?" That was all she managed to say.

Giles put his hand on her shoulder. "We still don't know for sure if it is Buffy. And if it is her, she may very well been trapped in a dimension where she had to fight every day. She may need to be reminded of her life here."

Joyce turned to look at him. "How can she forget something like that? How can she forget me? That can't be right."

"I assure you that she hasn't forgotten." Giles pulled her into a hug showing the first real signs of affection for her that he had wanted to so desperately over the past few weeks. "She's just pushed that out of her mind, her survival instincts taking over for her. Buffy said the same thing happened when Angel returned from his time in the other dimension."

"I guess." Joyce sighed heavily. The words were meant as comfort, but nothing but the return of her daughter could bring her true happiness. Not even the loving touch of Giles. Something she had wanted for sometime now.

Tara and Willow had stepped closer to the still body of the blond woman. They held hands tightly and Tara concentrated. "It's not Buffy." All eyes were on her in an instant.

"What do you mean?" Spike was the first to react. He came up and pointed to the woman. "That is Buffy. She even smells like her. I'm telling you, that is Buffy."

Tara turned toward the vampire, a sad look on her face. Her grip tightened a little on Willow's hand for comfort. "She is Buffy. But she is not the one that belongs in this dimension. She is from another time. Another place. I'm not sure where or when. But that is not the Buffy that we know."

There was stunned silence in the room. Xander walked in to see everyone standing around a blond. "There she is! So, is she Buffy?" He came up and put his arm around his girl.

"That's the question." Anya's voice was strained. "Yes and no she isn't Buffy."

"OK." Xander sighed heavily. "For those of us just getting in the game, be kind, rewind."

Tara knew she was the one that had to try and explain. "There are infinite number of dimensions out there. For every choice we make, another one exists. This Buffy is not from this reality. And I'm not sure which one she is from."

That's when blond eyes opened. There was a wildness about her. Her blue eyes flashed fire. She threw herself at the strange but familiar looking people. She came crashing to the floor in an instant. The barrier Willow had put up was still holding strong.

"Buffy, please do calm down." Giles voice was soft and gentle. It was almost fatherlike. Which wouldn't be much of a stretch. He had been more like a father then her real one. "We all are here to help you."

"Help?" Her voice shocked all of them. It wasn't the same as they remembered. It was darker. Deeper. Almost scary like. "You evil things wouldn't help me one bit. You'd rather destroy me and all the slayers. I won't let you."

"Slayers?" Giles took a step forward. "There are more then one slayer where you come from?" His eyes lit up with the thought of the possibility.

"You know there are." Buffy's eyes were shooting daggers at everyone. "Every since that witch..." She pointed to Willow. "She activated all the slayers. That's when all hell broke loose. Evil came on an epic level. It was said to balance out the sudden influx of good. And you lot embraced the evil. Decided to join forces with it. Especially with Faith. I can't believe you all turned your backs on me! When I needed you the most." Again, she threw herself at the barrier only to be knocked down hard to the ground. "I'll kill you if I get the chance."

There was more stunned silence from the scoobies. The thought that any of them would go evil was too much. They had already had to deal with Angel when he had gone evil. But that was one. Not all of them as a group against one slayer. And Faith was the evil leader.

Finally Giles stepped toward his slayer. At least, this version of his slayer. "Buffy, this comes as a great shock to us all. None of us have ever thought about activating the slayers. Didn't even think it was a possibility. And the thought of us joining forces with evil is absurd. In fact, in this realm, Faith is being held by Drusilla. She tried to take care of the insane vampire on her own. Now she is held captive."

"What?" Buffy seemed to calm for a second. "Shit!" The slayer put her head in her hands. "We're sophomores in college aren't we?" Silent nods confirmed her statement. "I remember this. I'd almost forgotten." She looked over at Willow and down at her belly. "I didn't see. I didn't realize." The anger seemed to drain from her face. "I can't believe this."

"Can't believe what?" Giles hated to ask. For if from what he inferred, she was from the future, he didn't want to learn things that could change their future. Though with her showing up, it most likely already had.

Buffy was about to speak when tears began pouring down her face. The dirt was washed away in streaks. "Mom?" Joyce walked a little closer to her little girl. "Is that really you?"

"It's me baby." Joyce was more then confused to say the least. Why was she crying that she was here.

"Oh God!" The slayer collapsed to the ground in a heap of sobs. "I never thought I'd see you again. Not after, oh God! I can't believe you are really here."

"Why?" Joyce didn't want to know the answer. And she probably shouldn't hear the answer either.

"Please, don't answer that." Buffy looked up at the sound of Giles' voice. "If what I get from you is that you are from an alternate future reality, we don't need to know things that could change the future of this one. Although you being here changes things anyways."

Buffy stood up suddenly. "You've got to find a way to get me back to my time. I'm corrupting things just by being here."

"That maybe so." Giles took off his glasses and began cleaning them. "But we have no idea where you are from. And how in the bloody hell you got here in the first place. You say that we are in your time. I don't want to ask, but when exactly is it that you come from?"

Buffy eyed him for a moment. "We would have been seniors in college had things not happened the way that they did."

"Would have been?" Willow didn't want to ask. But this was sounding so ominous already.

The two best friend's eyes met for a moment. She couldn't tell Willow what had happened in her time. She couldn't inflict the pain that she knew that her best friend had suffered through the first time. And if they worked together, maybe she could prevent the death of Tara. And the real reason for the downfall of the scoobies into the ranks of the ultimate evil.


	72. 72

AN Thanks for reviews. Make me want to write more. Although book getting published is getting in the way of writing. But that's a good thing. Thanks to my muse. Love her more then I can say.

Faith kept trying to gather exactly what it was that Willow was telling her in the mind mail she had received. It was something about Buffy being back but not Buffy. That the slayer was from the future. An untold future that saw the scoobies evil and with her as the leader. That was something that, well at one time might have thought about. But not now. Not now that she had so much to make up for and try and stay on the ranks of the good.

Drusilla had been more and more crazy over the past few weeks. The slayer could feel herself getting weaker and weaker. The damned vampire was barely letting her lackeys give her water let alone any real food. Ethan kept sneaking her things to eat so that she could keep up her strength in all of this. There was still some reason for him to be doing this. She was just unsure of what his real motives were.

Now she had this to deal with that Willow had told her. The one person that had believed in her all along was now back but not really. And for some reason in this future that B came from, she had again turned back to the darkside. Not a happy thought for the formerly rogue slayer. She still wanted nothing more then to be good.

Ethan slowly walked toward the slayer. She saw a look in his eyes that she had yet to see. There alliance was tentative at best. But it was still an alliance. One that she would fight with her life for. But that look told her all she needed to know. He'd had enough of all this. It was time that they made their move, at least that's what she was getting from him.

The sorcerer stood and smiled at her. His smile was radiant. She could see why so many had been taken in by it. She was not one of them however. She would never let herself be taken in again by some charming character. But if he was her release out of this hell, she would be more then willing placate him.

Ethan held his hand to his mouth, indicating that she should be quiet. He waved his hand in front of the chains that bound her to the wall. She about fell to the ground. Her legs were not ready to support her weight anymore. It had been far too long since she had been able to stand on her own two feet. The sorcerer caught her before she hit the ground.

He held his hand to his mouth, again indicating that there was a need for silence. He picked up the slayer and carried her in his arms. Slowly but surely they made their way to the outside. There was a Fyarl demon on guard. It never even saw them as they passed by. They just kept moving and moving.

Finally, Ethan stopped to rest. They had ended up in Weatherly Park. There was a picnic table in an obscure location. That was where he sat her down and sat himself right next to her. The sun was now fully employed in the sky. And the brightness was hurting both of their eyes. Too long in that damn cave.

Faith looked at the sorcerer. "Not that I'm not grateful and all, dude, but why the hell did we just waltz outta there? I mean, Drusilla's not stable. And she is gonna be like pissed beyond the telling of it when she finds out her little boy is gone."

Ethan laughed a great deal. "Well, this little boy got tired of being her whipping boy. Besides, what she has planned goes far beyond the chaos that I like to create. Chaos is one thing. But possibly ending the world, now that is another thing entirely."

"There's another reason you sprung me." Faith eyed the older man. "I can feel it. There is something you are hiding. Something very important. What is it? And don't tell me to mind my own damn business. To defeat Drusilla, we're going to need all the information that we have available. Especially anything that you have."

Ethan shrugged. "I have a personal stake in all of this. One that no one knows about. Not even Ripper knows this about me. And that's all I'm going to say. Cept that it might just be enough to put me onto the good side." He sighed heavily. "And for good."

Faith nodded. It wasn't her place to get the info outta the old Brit. But she had her hunch about something. She would wait and see if it came true. For now, they had to get back to the scoobies. "All right. You say you want to play good guy. Well then, come and on. We need to get to The Magic Box. The gang is waiting."

"Including the two witches?" Ethan started to stand. He was trying to appear not too eager but was failing miserably.

"Of course." Faith nodded to herself. This just helped to confirm her thoughts. Ethan had a connection to the witches, her buds. She just wondered for sure what it was. And if it was really for the good after all.

""""""

The whole scooby gang sat around the big table in The Magic Box. All of them were trying not to stare at Buffy. Xander was the one that was failing most. Silence had descended upon the gang and it seemed nothing could break it. Giles had warned to watch what they said and asked of Buffy. For anything they knew of the future could affect the now.

Xander tried not to stare at her. But it was hard. It was Buffy, but it wasn't Buffy. And he had so many questions running through his mind. How could he turn evil? Was it his choice? Was he under a spell? And what was he like two years into the future? Before all the evil stuff, had he gotten a better job? Had he matured any? Was he still with Anya at that point?

His future. He really hadn't been thinking about it a lot. Well, not much beyond the fact that he wanted to marry Anya. He couldn't see much beyond that. And he wondered what job he would have. Would he make it in the construction business? He so hoped so. He had finally found something that he was good at. And that made him happy besides being with Anya.

And he couldn't think about him not fighting evil. That was just too creepy. Ever since the blond woman sitting across from him had come into his life, he had fought all sorts of evil. And it had made him feel important. That he was part of the team somehow. That wasn't a likely possibility before Buffy had swooped into their lives. He and Willow were just loners. The three musketeers if you counted Jesse. Then Buffy came along. They were still outcasts, but with a secret purpose in life.

Evil. Him? That just was something that blew his mind. Although he remembered when Anya first came into their lives. Well, it was actually the second time. They just didn't know bout the first one and her wish that she had made come true. It wasn't till she came back and tried to get her necklace back that he had found out he was an evil vampire in another dimension. Too weird even back then to think bout.

Sighing, he tried to concentrate on some text in front of him. They were all trying to find out how Buffy had been sent back in time and possibly from another dimension. According to her, certain things had not happened as they said they had. She wouldn't go into detail, but some things weren't as they should be. Faith being the biggest one. What other things were different?

""""""

Giles watched his slayer. He could tell that she was watching all of the gang carefully. Trust had been broken somewhere down the line. And when trust was broken, it was nearly impossible to get back. He could see scars on her face. Ones that should not be there from this time. He could not help but wonder what she had been through to cause all of that.

But he could not and would not ask. It might just destroy both their futures. And that was something that he didn't want to play with. The future of an entire world. Something he was not sure he liked at all. But then, why was she sent back? If not to help so that things did not go the way that this Buffy had already said.

Underneath the table, Joyce took his hand. She squeezed it and it brought great comfort to both of them. Their relationship was still so new. No one new the extent of it. Not that it had gone beyond the simple comforting stage. But given a little more time and it could easily lead to something wonderful for the both of them. It made him wonder what had happened in this future that Buffy was from. She had acted surprised to see her mother. Why? But no. those questions would have to go unanswered.

He sighed heavily. He was not sure what to do or say. It was unreal that his slayer was gone and that there was now this future one in her place. And what did it mean for him and the others? Evil? Him? That just sounded unbelievable. But so was life sometimes. He felt another squeeze from Joyce and smiled at her. Whatever was out there, they would all face together. Just hopefully that would exclude them all going all evil on the world.

""""""

Tara could sense it. Willow was scared. And the blond knew why. It was her everything's greatest fear. That she would lose control of her powers. Turn evil and get to the point of destroying the world. She knew that Willow was thinking that the future that Buffy came from was all her fault. That it was her that had lost control and had been the one to put the gang under some spell so that they would follow her evil lead.

Those were not pleasant thoughts for either witch. Especially with their little one on the way. What did this unborn child have to do with the future? It was as if Buffy had expected Willow to be pregnant. But not for Tara to be in the picture. What was this other future like for her? Did she and Willow get together and if so were they still?

Too many thoughts. Too many possibilities. They had to stay focused on the present. Not worry bout the future. All they had to do was try and get this Buffy back to whatever time that and place she had come from. Then, they had to figure out still what to do about Drusilla. Not that they were supposed to do anything.

Tara felt something. Soft skin was on her arm. She looked up into those green eyes that always told how they felt. Fear. It was plain for anyone to see. She was scared to death that she was the one that caused all the evil in this Buffy's world.

The blond took her everything's hand in her own. Love. She felt it like an electric current. It was being sent in waves from her to her girl and back. No matter what happened before, it didn't matter. They were there for each other. Always. That would not change. Not if either of them had any say in the matter.

Willow put her head on Tara's shoulder. It felt right, even in the face of all that was going on. Just to have the simple touch of one another. To be there no matter what. To face whatever came their way and come out stronger because of it. It seemed that something was letting all the negative things that had been between the two young witches just wash away.

Maybe it was the thought that they needed each other more then ever. Or was it something more? There was this vibe from this Buffy. Like something had happened between the two young women. Something that would change the future forever. It couldn't possibly be that something they did would change this. Or was it something worse? Something like death?

They looked deep into each others eyes. Something flashed at that moment. They could see something. The future. Well, a future anyways. There was death. There was something awful that happened. There was no life in the blond's eyes. Willow nearly screamed, but a strong grip on her hand prevented her from doing so.

Her eyes met with blue oceans. Love beyond the telling of it was there. They both understood the fear. Losing one another. But this was another time. Another place. This was not their future. And if they could work it, they would be avoiding this way that Buffy had said that she had come from. There was nothing that would tear these two apart. They were forever and that was the way that it was meant to be.

""""""

Buffy eyed this group. She remembered so fondly the times that she and the gang had spent here. Even the times that were bad were of the good. For they were together and they were on the same side. They were not fighting one another like in her time. They had been so close and then had become such hated enemies.

The slayer didn't know which hurt more though. Looking at her mother and knowing what happened to her or looking at Tara and knowing what happened to the young witch. She knew so many things that were going to happen. Well, at least happen in her time.

One thing was the whole pregnancy thing. It happened in her time as well. But not the way she figured it had here. Oz had left just after they found out that Willow was pregnant in her time. And she'd met Tara. And the two had fallen into such a deep love. And they were the forever kind of live.

Seems here in this time things were so different. She'd heard a tale bout her and Spike. That had never happened in her time. She had stayed with Angel until he had been killed by Spike. And she had in turn killed Spike. The thing that had lead up to all the gang going evil was that. Drusilla took over for Spike and had put on an onslaught of vampires and demons from all over the world. There were just so many of them.

Buffy was still not sure who thought of it or how Willow had managed it. But she did the big spell and all the slayers were activated. But something had gone terribly wrong. And the spell had caused Tara to die. Something about draining her. Again, things got fuzzy after that. Because Willow did not take the loss of her everything very well.

Faith had taken advantage of all the chaos that had happened after. She took a good portion of the newly activated slayers and had turned them into an evil mass. Buffy had taken the rest by herself. Willow had put a spell on Xander and Giles. They were her little lackeys. And just when things seemed not to be able to get any worse, Willow and Faith joined forces.

That had lead to the near ending of the world. And Buffy had just learned how to take Willow down. That's when she was zapped to this world. Her eyes lit up. How stupid could a girl get? Of course that was the reason that she had been zapped into this world. She was about to take her enemy out.

"Guys!" Her voice startled them all. "I think I know why I'm here. And I'm afraid if I'm right, there won't be a world to go back to for me."

"What are you talking about, Buffy?" Giles had the faith in her. She just needed to do the explaining thing.

"Well, let's just say that the evil in my time..." Her voice drifted for a moment. It got a hitch in it. Not wanting to think of her friends as evil. Never had, never would. "Well, had discovered how to basically destroy the world. I'd just figured out how to stop them. And that's when I woke up here. In this time and place. It was all so familiar. I thought I was in my place. But then, I saw Spike. Let's just say he's not around in my time."

"So, we have to try and figure out not only how to send you back, but now more importantly if we can send you back." Giles smiled sadly. "I'd rather not send you back to a nothingness. But I'm not sure if it such a good thing to be staying in this time."

"Or maybe..." Everyone turned to look at Tara. "Or maybe this is how things were supposed to happen. Maybe she's in our time because she is supposed to be. Her time was ending and they knew our time needed a Buffy." She smiled sadly. Her words were big. Her words were huge. Was this what it was? Was Buffy back because she was supposed to now be? Only time would tell.


	73. 73

AN Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of updates. Holidays and book and something of the very good. Life is good right now. Better then I ever thought it could be. Anyways, hope that this is of the good and that you likey still. Love you guys! Thanks for the reviews!

Faith about passed out at the sight of Buffy sitting at the table. The rest of the gang had dispersed in the time it had taken her and Ethan to make it to The Magic Box. It seemed that Buffy still needed some time to adjust to this new time and place. And everyone else would need that time as well.

Ethan was still outside. He had decided to make his entrance after Faith had told everyone about the great escape. He watched from the window. Curiosity killed the cat as the old saying goes and he was no different. Would these people trust him? Should they? Only he knew for sure.

Buffy looked up to see the former rogue slayer. She immediately took a fighting stance. "Whoa, B!" Faith took a couple steps back. "I know that in your time we are like these mortal enemies or something. But here, I've done the repent thing. And I want to help stop evil, not continue to help it."

The blond kept her stance. She eyed the other slayer very carefully. "So I've been told. You'll forgive me if I don't let my guard down right away. You've done so much to so many people that I don't know if I could ever truly trust you."

Faith sighed heavily. "It's of the good. I understand. Just what I've done in this time was enough for you to not trust me. From what Willow told me, I was even worse in your time. I can see myself being worse. If things hadn't happened the way that they had, I would probably still be on that path. I won't lie. And there is still that dark force inside of myself. I can feel it. I fight it every day."

Finally, Buffy took a more relaxed stance. Still, she had her guard up, but she was no longer in a fighting stance. "Willow told you?" The blond nodded. "Right. Forgot bout the whole mind mail thing that she got so good at before..." She trailed off. There was a great deal of sadness in her voice. And pain reflected in her eyes.

"Right." Faith slowly made her way towards the table. "The rest of the gang here? I escaped, as you can see. But I had help. Ethan helped me. He's outside waiting to make his big entrance." She stopped at the look on her counterpart's face. "What?"

Buffy shook her head. "Well, let's just say that Ethan was never a part of my time, what happened. At least, not that I know of. He's a surprise, that's all. Not the first. And I'm sure that there are going to be quite a few more."

Faith nodded. "Hopefully good ones. You look like you've been through quite a bit. More then I ever have been." Finally, the rogue slayer sat down. "Not to change the subject, but is there anything to eat round here? Let's just say a crazy vampire doesn't take very good care of her slayer captives."

"I'll get some food. And Giles." Buffy turned to go. "The rest of the gang, well, they left. Not much more we could do till things reveal themselves at this point. Time is what we are waiting for now." Faith nodded.

It wasn't long before Buffy and Giles were back out into the shop part of The Magic Box. There was quite the spread for the slayer. And Ethan sat at the table watching the former rogue slayer go to town on all the food. All the while, he could feel the stares of his nemesis. This was not going to be easy, explaining why he had chosen to do what he had done. He didn't want to reveal his connection to the witch, not yet anyways. Not till he had done his redemption. Till he could be the father that she could be proud of.

"Ethan." The sorcerer looked up at the former librarian. "You claim to have helped because you knew that what Drusilla is up to is beyond chaos? The question, as always, how in the devil are we to trust you?"

Ethan sighed heavily. "You can't. And I don't expect you to. Just know that I will be here to help in any way I can. I'm not going to hurt the cause of good. Not this time anyways. Even if it is boring as hell."

Giles slammed his fist down on the table, startling everyone. "Dammit man! Be serious for once in your bloody life! We are facing the possible end of the world, again. And all because you chose to help out that blasted vampire! And now, you are caviler about this very serious situation. You need to stand up and take responsibility!"

The sorcerer eyed his former friend. "You know better then that Ripper. I can never be one of the good boys. I may try. But it'll never work. I'm as evil as they come. Just like you used to be if I remember correctly."

"Precisely." Giles came and stood in front of the man. "You can be a good man. You just have to want it. Isn't there something that you've always wanted? Wouldn't it be the reason to make sure that this is a better world then one that is filled with chaos?"

Ethan swallowed hard. If only he knew. If only they all knew that he did have something to make him want to be good. His daughter. His grandchild. Wouldn't any man do anything for them? Even evil types seemed to always want the best for their kids. And he was no exception. He sat in silence.

"I guess not." Giles returned to his seat. "Ladies, why don't you go and train some. I think I need to speak with Ethan alone for a moment." The two slayers eyed each other. Neither felt all that comfortable with each other. But both slowly made their way into the training room. "Now, tell me the truth. There is something there for you. Something here, more precisely. What exactly is it?"

The sorcerer looked into those eyes. Ones that were stronger then his ever would be. Probably why none of his evil schemes had really come to bear. Was it time to share? Well, he knew that Ripper would keep his secret, so why not? What other choice did he have? To keep silent. And that would make Ripper want to get after him even more. Might as well come clean now as to take what he would surely dish out.

"All right." Ethan stood up and began pacing. "You see, this all starts a few years ago. Closing in on twenty one in fact. You see, I paid a little visit to the states. Got very friendly with a lady. Lady that goes by the name of Sheila." Giles' eyes widened considerably. "A very pretty redhead in her day."

"You don't bloody well mean..." Giles trailed off at the look he was given. "But that would mean..."

"Yes, Ripper." Ethan stopped pacing. He turned to look his nemesis fully in the face. "That sweet young witch of yours is my daughter. And the child that she carries inside of her, the one that could ultimately end the world, is my grandchild. How fitting that a spawn of mine could destroy the world."

Giles just stood there. His mind was having trouble grasping what Ethan had just told him. It made sense. Why the man that had been so obsessed with chaos was now wanting to fight it. But could it be the truth? Or was it just a way to make it look good on his part.

Finally, Giles sat back down at the table. It was all too much. "You aren't just making this up? I wouldn't put it past you. Bloody hell, I wouldn't put anything past you."

Ethan returned to the table himself. "Here." The sorcerer pulled out a piece of paper that was quite worn. The words were barely legible. "It's a letter from Sheila Howard. Who now goes by the name of Rosenberg. It's after she found out she was pregnant. And that she'd found someone else. Someone that loved her and would be there for her. So, she asked me not to even bother with the child. She and he would raise it as her own."

Giles carefully read the pages. He shook his head. "And I take it Willow knows none of this?" Carefully, he folded the pages back up and handed them back to Ethan.

"I don't even know if she knows she's adopted." Ethan shrugged. "As Sheila said in the letter, Ira adopted her to make it all legal like. Why would she know it was me that is her real father? And I don't want her to know. Maybe never."

Giles eyed the man at that last statement. "Why?"

"She's better off without me." Ethan stood quickly and made his way to the door. "I won't go far. I'll be at my old shop. I'll have a protection spell. If I should need help, I'll call. Just call me there." And with that, he left. Giles staring after in wonderment.

""""""

Willow lay on her side in bed. It had been a long day indeed. Seeing Buffy back, even though she wasn't the Buffy from this time, was draining. And then there were the thoughts of her going evil. Something she had been fighting so hard against for so long. Power was a good thing, but one had to use it responsibly.

Her stomach had been bothering her all day. It was something like the acidy feeling she got when she was nervous or scared. And with all that was going on, why would she have anything to be nervous or scared of? Only her destroying the world.

But there was something more to it all. She was getting the feeling that something big was about to happen. Did that have anything to do with what was about to go down? And that they were still supposed to be doing nothing about? Was it something to do with Faith and this alternate Buffy? Or was it something to do with Ethan Rayne?

Ethan. She hadn't really dealt with him much. Not personally anyways. He'd been the one that had sold those Halloween costumes to her and the gang. And he had been the one that had nearly killed Buffy. And of course, he'd been involved in trying to kill Buffy and Giles. Then there was that time with Evil Riley. But he'd claimed to have gone good after that. Had he?

It was like there was this connection with him. Something she was not sure of. Something that she could not explain. Would it be best to explain it? Or would it ever be explained? That's when she felt a little pain in her side. She ignored it, thinking it was the little one kicking.

Tara came up behind her and lay on the bed beside her. "I brought you some tea, if you'd like some."

"No thanks." Tara wrapped her arm around her everything. "This is what I need. This is what I've needed for the longest time. Just you and me. I hate that things have gotten so strained between us. And I know it's all because you wanted to spare me the tough choice. I love you very much for that."

"I was only doing what you would do for me." Tara began rubbing her belly. "I wanted to save you from the guilt of trying to bring back Buffy. And instead, I made it so that you had to bring back me. That's what I call a great choice." She sighed heavily.

Willow put her hand on Tara's. "We both want what's best for the other. We both love each other very much. And we'll do what it takes to take care of each other. Just, we have to keep that in mind when we think that things are going, well, not the way that we think that they should. You are my always."

"And you are mine." Willow sat up suddenly. "Something isn't right. I'm not sure what's going on, but something isn't right." Again, she felt this pain in her side. "Tara?" There was this great fear in the young witch's voice.

"Baby?" Tara was sitting next to her in an instant. "What's the matter? You think something is wrong? What is it? Do you know?"

"The baby..." Willow doubled over in pain. "Goddess!"

"Willow?" Now there was a great deal of fear in the young blond's voice. "Baby, talk to me. What exactly is happening?"

"Hospital." Willow looked up. "And now."

It wasn't long till Tara had driven them both to the emergency room. Willow was in with the doctors. They wouldn't let her in because technically she wasn't family. And it appeared that things were pretty serious. And she couldn't be with her everything.

The blond paced back and forth. She'd called Xander. And he'd in turn called all the others. They were all now there, including Ethan Rayne for some strange reason. They watched as the blond kept pacing. None of them were allowed into the room to see Willow. No one was family. Well, not that any one but Ethan and Giles knew that wasn't true.

Finally, a doctor made her way out. "Which one of you is Tara MaClay?" Tara quickly stood forward. "Well, it appears that your friend was starting to cramp up. And if you hadn't gotten her here when you did, she would have lost the babies."

"Babies?" Tara looked up at the doctor. "Babies plural." It was a good thing that Xander wasn't too far away. He caught Tara as she almost hit the floor. He guided her to one of the chairs in the waiting room.

"You all right miss?" The doctor had a worried look on her face.

"We weren't expecting babies. Only one." Tara started to get a goofy grin on her face. "I can't believe we're having more then one. I mean, wow! Two little ones. That's just totally amazing. We're so blessed."

"We?" The doctor looked at her. "I didn't think you were family."

Xander quickly stood up. "They are family. Didn't she tell you she was her girlfriend?"

"Well, yes." The doctor suddenly looked flustered. "I just thought she meant her friend. I didn't know that, well, it meant more."

"And if you had?" Giles came and stood next to Tara. "Would this hospital permitted her to see her girlfriend?"

"Uh, possibly." The doctor now looked scared. "Look, why don't I let you see her now. She's doing much better now. We got the bleeding to stop. And the twins look fine on the monitor. It was probably just something that was caused by stress. With a little bit of relaxation she'll be as good as new."

"Thank you doctor." Tara smoothed over the waters as quickly as she could. She could still tell that both Giles and Xander were still quite upset. But she wouldn't let what others thought of her and the outside world think about her get her down. She was in love and together with a wonderful woman that was carrying their babies.

Tara opened the door to Willow's room. Her redhead had her eyes closed so Tara came in as quietly as she could, just incase she wasn't just resting. She sat down in the chair next to the bed. She took her girl's hand in her own. Willow's eyes opened immediately.

"So, you hear the news?" Willow smiled weakly. She was still so tired and a little weak from her ordeal. "Stress. Who knew?"

"We both knew." Tara kissed her hand. "We just always have to do what we do to save the world. And twins? Can you imagine?"

Willow smiled big now. "Yeppers. Two more of us running round. That'll be something else now won't it?"

"You." Tara again kissed her hand. "You are the something else. So strong and brave and powerful. And now, you are bringing in two little ones. You are one amazing woman." The two sat in silence. Just enjoying the feeling of being with one another. And the thought that they had reconnected just making everything better. And forgetting about the doom that still was ahead for everyone.


	74. 74

AN Thanks for taking the time to review. Thanks for your support. Here's more. Hope to keep going with this, but holidays are coming up and time is escaping me. But I'll try. And to my muse, still and always inspiring. Love ya!

Ethan looked around his empty shop. One that he had managed to keep for several years now. One that was the sight of his first seeing of his daughter. Of course, at the time, he had not known that the redhead who had bought a ghost costume was his daughter. How was he to know? Sheila had kept it from him for all these years.

In the back, there were still the remnants of his foray on Halloween. So much had happened since then, but there were still traces. The shattered statue head was still there. He had yet to clean up anything. And he was not about to now. What was the point? If things went as badly as he assumed they would, there wouldn't be a world left for him anyways.

Sighing, he made his way to the corner where a cot still sat. He'd placed it there in case that he ever needed to stay. Now, he did. For he was not about to let his daughter and his grandchildren face whatever evil was to come there way without him. Was he a changed man?

Perhaps. Perhaps life had changed him. More then he ever thought it would. For in the past, he never had anyone to watch out for. His father had long ago disowned him. His mother had died penniless when he was still only fifteen years old. And since then, he had been on his own. Watching out for number one.

But now, he had people that he cared about. People that he would do anything for. It amazed him the feelings that gave him. That he would actually want to look after them. It was a change indeed for him. Ripper had been right. There was something that could make you change. And that was having people that cared about you in your life.

The cot squeaked noisily as he sat down. But it felt so good. He had been sleeping in that blasted cave for so long that he barely remembered what it was like to sleep on anything soft. Or to sit on anything soft for that matter. It did do his body good to feel that.

But that softness would not make it so that he could sleep. For he knew that Drusilla was out there somewhere and mad as hell. For, she would want to know where he had taken her prize. After all, that was how she had referred to Faith. Her little slayer prize. And there was of course the thing about getting his daughter and grandchild.

The phone rang at that moment. Just as he was beginning to be able to relax. It figured that that's when it would ring. He reluctantly answered it. "Hello?"

"It's Ripper." Giles' voice had an edge to it. "I don't think you should show up, but I think you should know. Willow is in the hospital. She had a close call with the pregnancy. And..." The former librarian hesitated for a moment. "And we found out that she is having twins. I felt that you had a right to know."

"Thanks old man." Ethan was almost shaking at the news. "And no worries old pale. I won't be in to seem my daughter or grandchildren. I would appreciate any updates. Please do that for an old friend." The phone went dead.

It was hard, but Ethan forced himself to lay down. He stared up at the ceiling. Twins. Two. Of him. Soon to be running around. It was all so amazing. And yet, meant even more problems then they had thought before. For if there were two slayers and there were two off spring of the powerful witches, that meant twice the spellage. And that was not a good thing.

Even the evil sorcerer had to shudder at the thought. For he liked chaos. Hell, he loved chaos. But what Drusilla had planned. He shuddered at the image it brought. Something he would fight with his very life to keep from happening. And he would too. Fight with the very life that he had in him. Boy, how times change.

''''''''

Buffy was pacing in the waiting room. Faith sat, looking all nonchalant and watching her fellow slayer. She knew that the blond was having trouble with her being good. Heck, half the time she had trouble believing that as well. But she was trying. And watching the other slayer pace was making her nervous. Something had to be done.

"Yo, B." Faith stood up and slowly made her way over to the pacing slayer who stopped rather abruptly. "I was just thinking. There really is nothing more we can do here for the night. Sounds like Reds gonna be all right. And she's got the rest of the gang to keep an eye on her. Why don't we go and see if we can find any bad guys?"

Buffy turned towards the formerly rogue slayer, a look of distrust on her face. "I'd rather stay here in case there is trouble. I want to be here for Will. I know that may sound weird seeing in my time that we were enemies and all but I never wanted that. I always wanted it to be like the old times. When we fought side by side. When we were there for each other no matter what. A few tiffs along the way, sure. But we never let anything get in the way. Not until..." She trailed off. She still wasn't sure what to tell and what not to. For how long was she going to be in this foreign time? And what changes could she make that she shouldn't?

"Look, Red will understand." Faith maintained her distance. "She knows that us out there seeing what we can find out is just as important. For if we can stop whatever it is that's coming, her little ones will be safe." The dark haired girl pulled a cell phone out of her leather coat. "Besides, I come prepared."

"Cell phone?" Buffy eyed her. "Since when did we get cell phones? Never had any in my time. That would have made things so much simpler."

"It does." Faith smiled a little. "Just when you are chained to a wall, nothing really helps." Her smile grew a little. She hoped that the humor was helping B.

"I guess it wouldn't." Buffy sighed. She walked over to where Giles and the rest sat. "Faith has an idea. One that actually isn't that bad. I'm like totally at a loss here. And well, patrolling might help. So, you guys will call us if there is a change, right? We'll get our asses back her as quickly as possible."

Giles noticed the language use. It seemed that this Buffy was a little bit rougher then his Buffy. Something had happened to her. Maybe someday she would share. "All right. But do be careful. Drusilla is probably beside herself at the moment. And she'll be looking to get back a slayer for whatever this ritual is. So, both of you do be careful."

"As always Giles." Buffy smiled sadly at him. She turned and nodded to Faith. The two slayers quickly left the hospital. It wasn't long before the two of them were in one of the many cemeteries of Sunnydale. Still more then the normal town would have. "This feels so weird."

"What?" Faith listened carefully. She thought she had heard a noise. "Being back in this town? Or, probably the fact that the two of us are nearly like friends."

Buffy turned on a dime. "Don't ever go that far. I don't know what happened in this time. But the things that you did to me, I will never be able to forgive." Without even knowing it, her hands went to her face. She was tracing over the scars. There were so many scars on her face. Ones that she would never forget how she had gotten.

Faith held up her hands. "B, I'm sorry for whatever happened in your time. Knowing me, it was some really nasty stuff. I have that streak in me. I know I do. Some days it takes all I have to keep on this path. But it's worth it. Having goodness is worth it. I've discovered that much. And I know I'll never be able to make up for what I did."

The blond slayer eyed her counterpart. "Those are some nice words. Pretty words. I've heard something like those before from you. And look how well that turned out. The things you did to me!" Buffy started towards the other slayer, anger across her face. "In my time, I vowed to kill you for the things you did."

Faith quickly began to back up. She stumbled over a headstone in the process. She was now laying on her back looking up at Buffy. There was anger and there was a fire in the other slayer's eyes. Hate. Pure hate. And why shouldn't she? Again, Faith could only imagine what torture she had put B through.

"Buffy!" The familiar voice startled the slayer. Spike stood only a few feet away. "Look, luv. I know that things were bad in your time. But Faith here has really changed. So, you need to back off. You two play on the same side."

"And do we?" Buffy glared at him. "Do we play on the same side? Cause in my time you tried to kill me and my friends. You were the start of all things going to hell. It was because I killed you that Drusilla did what she did and then Willow did what she did and the evil and all and everything and...." Tears were now streaming down the slayer's face.

Faith quickly got to her feet. She watched as Buffy just cried. She didn't know if she should or not, but she quickly made her way over and wrapped her arms around her. Spike watched the scene in front of him unfold. No wonder why she hated him and was so surprised to see him that day.

The two slayers held each other for what seemed like forever. The two just needed to know it was all right. Faith to be forgiven all over again. Even though the Buffy that had been in her time had already done that. And this Buffy, she needed to let go. Let go of the anger and of the pain. For she was now in this time. Forever. This was her place now. She would have to let all of the anger and pain go away. That was just how things were now. If only it were that easy. But life is never that easy.

''''''''

Hospitals. It seemed that they'd seen their share over the years. Part of being in the slayer fold. Part of wanting to help. Part of needing to help. This time, it was different. It was partly because of good, but partly because of bad. Tara held her everything's hand tightly as she got the sleep that she so desperately needed.

Her thoughts were of both the good and the bad. Good beyond the telling of it. She was soon going to be the proud mother of not one, but two little ones. A nice twist that life had thrown at her. Were she and her girl ready? The answer was quickly yes on that one. There was no doubt in her mind. So much love and so much of a connection that had been recaptured. It was a warm feeling.

But fear was part of that and part of the bad thoughts. For, if one child had been needed to do this ritual, weren't two in the world that much more dangerous? And right from the get go her two little ones were in danger. But then, living the life of a scooby did that automatically. Well, one just living was dangerous. Just being a part of the scoobies gave you that knowledge of the supernatural world around you.

Tara's eyes began to get heavy. It was nearing morning and she had yet to get any sleep. She had been too worried to sleep. And she was still quite worried. The doctors may say that things were all right, but there was still that streak in her that made her worry.

Nothing would feel better then to sleep. Well, if that meant that she and her girl were back in their apartment in their bed together. Just to feel the steady breathing of her girl next to her was the most comforting feeling in the world. It was the way that every day was supposed to end and how every day was to start. The two of them together.

Tara blinked. She was no longer in the hospital with her girl. But she was still with her. The two were in bed together. She had obviously just woke up from a pretty sound sleep while Willow still slept soundly. There was a haze to her thinking. But it could just be because she just woke up. Or was it something else?

Suddenly, two little ones were peeking through the crack in the door. Tara quickly got herself out of bed, yet carefully as not to wake up Willow. She held her hand to her mouth and the two little ones obeyed. She made her way through the door and took both their little hands in her own. The three made their way to the kitchen.

"All right you two, what do you want for breakfast this morning?" Tara smiled as she asked. They always wanted the same thing. And she was more then happy to oblige them. She loved them with every fiber of her being.

The little blond girl smiled. "I want my usual! I want pancakes. And funny shapes for me! No one does funny shapes like you, momma."

The little redheaded girl laughed. "That's so true. And I want funny shapes too! They always make me laugh and feel good going down. Always warm me up! Just like magick!"

Tara's smile faded a little at the last comment. She and Willow were trying to keep their little ones away from magick. Well, till they were five. And that was only a short time away. Quickly, her smile recovered. She knew that Amber and Alyson were very sensitive to her moods. And she didn't want to spoil their good day.

She couldn't help but remember what the two had gone through. And before they were even a month old. Both had little scars on their stomach because of it. But that was in the past. A scar was a painful reminder. But they would be all right. Everything would be all right. Everything always seem to turn out all right.

The blond witch snapped out of her thoughts. She made her way over to the cupboard and pulled out all that she needed. She was busy making the pancakes and didn't notice someone standing right behind her. Arms were around her and she knew and felt that amazing feeling that she felt every time that Willow had her arms around her.

"Mom and momma are gonna make out!" Amer giggled.

Alyson shoved her sister. "Like eewww! They are not. That's so disgusting. I mean, grownups. Eeewww!"

The two witches turned to their daughters. It was a happy feeling one that just felt right. This was the future they had to look forward to. This was a future that both wanted so much. And suddenly, Tara felt a tug in her mind. Things around her started to fade. And she realized sadly that it was all a dream. But it was a dream that could easily come true.

It wasn't long before Tara found herself in another place. Red rocky walls. It had to be the cavern that Faith had described being held at. It had to be. Drusilla! The blond hadn't seen her but she just knew that's who the vampire was. Scary. And evil just flowed off from her. Not one that she looked forward to tangling with.

Suddenly, crying! Tara ran towards the sound on pure instinct. There she was, an image of herself. And Willow! Both were gagged and chained to a wall. Not effective witches that way. And there, in the center of the room were her little ones. Crying because there was already blood on their tiny bellies. And there were both Faith and Buffy. And the knives where coming closer. She had to do something or else!

"No!" Tara woke up. Willow still slept soundly. How could she? But then, she knew that she had had a long night. The blond noticed the sweat dripping down her face. That last part had scared her. And she instantly knew. Both dreams could come true. And probably would. But how would they save their little ones?


	75. 75

AN Hey my friends! Sorry to be gone a bit. Been a bit busy. I got my own website now. If you want to check it out, tells a little bout my writing. And feedback is appreciated. Will update it, just not sure how often. Anyways, on with the important stuff. Story time my friends. And never to be forgotten, to my muse. Love ya!

Morning burst onto the residents of Sunnydale. And around Sunnydale that was a good thing for most of the bad things tended to go underground and stay there till the rays of the golden sun had faded into nothingness. But it was also a restless time for those creatures of the night. When they tended to do most of their planning for oncoming evil.

And today was no exception. Tales had already spread among the demon community. The two powerful witches were going to have offspring. But they were not only going to have one, they were going to have two. Depending upon which demon you were, it meant either double the trouble or double the goodness.

In one insane vampire's case, it meant doubly the goodness. Her thoughts were dwelling on the fact that she had been betrayed. Betrayed by a weasely human. Weak was not a strong enough word to describe him. And she had bought into all of his lies. She should have known better. But the need for a sorcerer had been great.

There was still that need. That position needed to be filled and quickly. It was soon to be upon them the time of the arrival of the two little ones. And there was still so much to do. She had to get at least one, if not both of the slayers for her plans to work. It had been hard enough the first time when they hadn't suspected anything. Now, they were all on full alert.

"Come here." Drusilla purred at one of her minions, a fellow vampire. "I have a job for you." The little male vampire shook visibly as he slowly made his way toward the vampire. "It's a very important job."

"What is it, my master." The male's voice squeaked as he spoke. Fear was definitely running rampant throughout his entire weak body.

"Just this." With one stroke, she snapped his head off from his body. His head turned to dust in her hand while the rest of his body settle to the floor. All heads turned to look at the insane vampire. "Oh goody! I have all of your attention! Just what I had wanted." She brushed her hands of the dust. "Now, we have a problem. Have had for a while now. Ever since you all let Ethan escape with that slayer."

There were a few grumbles. A sharp look from her quickly silenced the complaining minions. Drusilla began toward the opening of the cave. She knew that she herself could not go out. Not without a death wish could she. But that didn't mean some of her other minions could not go out. That was the good thing about having more then just vampires at your beckon call.

"There are those of you among us that can go out into those pretty rays. For they are pretty, if I remember correctly." She turned on a dime. "It's been so long since I've seen what the sun looks like. Felt the warm tingly feeling it gives. Life giver it is." She stood straighter. "Or life taker." She giggled a little. "Now, those of you that are immune to the bad ole sun I want to go. I want you to find the slayers. Bring them to me. And quickly."

The looks she received made her angry. The lot that she dealt with was full of fear. They were weak. That was the only way to describe them. Weaker then weak. It was sad really. When one so strong had to depend on those that were so weak.

"Oh, but I also have plans. For some of you lot." She clasped her hands together in excited anticipation. "Some of you will be going looking. Looking for a certain someone. Someone that I had forgotten about. And I'm sure that lot of those goody two shoes had as well. She could very well be the key. Go! Find her! And the slayers!"

There was no confusion among the minions. They knew who she spoke of. There had been talk for weeks about finding this girl. That she had power that she didn't even know existed. And that power could be used to help with the ritual. And that had kept Drusilla happy. But not for long. Never for long. The minions took off like a shot, leaving the whole lot of vampires beyond them.

Drusilla slowly made her way to the area in which she had deemed her throne. She was queen of all that looked on. And she would use that great power that gave her for evil. For soon she would have two slayers. And it wouldn't be long until she had those two sweet and little innocent ones in her arms. Oh how she would corrupt them.

'''''''

Spike could still feel the burning inside of him. It had driven him crazy at first when he had gotten it. What had he been thinking getting his soul back? It hadn't had the desired effect that he had wanted. Part of it was to make himself better. But the bigger thing was to win the heart of a certain blond slayer.

There had been a bit of a connection with the Buffy of his time. Perhaps there could have been something between them. Perhaps not. But they could have definitely been friends. That much he knew. But now that his Buffy was gone and he had to settle for this imitation of her, he wasn't so sure it had been worth it. The burning. The aching. The shear insanity dealing with all the evil that he had done in the past.

His crypt didn't seem big enough at times like this. He just wanted to be out killing something. But with the fact that there was a thing called the sun out there he would have to be content in pummeling the walls of his crypt. There were already a few sizable chunks missing from the walls. Ones he would have to fix later.

Right now, he didn't care. Buffy looked at him like she wanted to kill him. Even after a few nights ago in the cemetery and the breakdown that he witnessed between her and Faith. It seemed she could forgive and let go of the terrible crimes that she had done in her world. Why couldn't she let go of the things that he had done? What had he done that was so terrible that she could and would not forgive him?

The old Spike would have gone to her and beat the information out of her. But that would be exactly what she was expecting. For him to be the big badass and do the evil thing. Sighing he looked down at his bloodied hands. They were numb he had hit them so many times. But yet, there was blood. And a lot of it. He stared for what seemed like forever.

Numb. That was what he had started to feel. Besides the constant burning that his ever present soul made him feel. Nothing. Well, after that scene in the cemetery anyways. He was having trouble with wanting to fight the good fight. He was having trouble wanting to do what he knew was right. What should be done.

But if he gave in, what would be the point? He had fought, nearly to the death for his soul to be returned. Why give up so easily for something he had fought so hard for? For he stilled loved Buffy. More then words could say he loved her. And he knew that his Buffy had loved him. Could in time this Buffy love him as well?

He screamed as his fist went flying into the wall again. This time, he did feel something. His hand had shattered. "That was bloody brilliant." Spike quickly turned and found the bandages that he kept ready. More for her then for him. He carefully wrapped both hands. Careful with his right hand. It would heal on its own in a day or two. Part of the nice thing that came with being a vampire. Quick healing.

But would it be fast enough? For it wouldn't be long and the twins would be in this world. And he knew that Drusilla wouldn't stand idly by and just watch from the sidelines. No, she would take the offensive when she could. He was still trying to figure out exactly what that offensive would be.

He still knew her so well. And yet, she was different then when he had known her. She was even more unpredictable, if that was a possibility. She didn't seem to care about the consequences. It was almost like she was under the influence of another. Of something.

Spike shook his head. He was thinking. Perhaps he was thinking too much. He needed to rest now. His stupidity called for that. For the more he rested, the faster his wounds would heal. But again, the thought of would it be in time? Did he just make the biggest mistake of his undead life in injuring himself? Only time would tell.

''''''

The doctors had reluctantly let Willow go from the hospital. It's not that there was a real danger for the babies, but they felt that they could observe her better and that they could help reduce her stress. But she would have none of it. She just wanted to be home and alone with her everything. In fact, all of her friends had stayed away.

Oh, Buffy and the others had called. As had Giles and Mrs. Summers to check on her. But they were respecting the request that the two young lovers had made for some alone time. The two were still doing what they could research wise. Not that there really was anything more to find out. But they were at least making an effort.

Tara insisted that Willow either lay on the couch or stay in bed. She didn't even want her up to eat. The two shared their meals in their bedroom or the living room. And Willow had taken a leave of absence on some of her classes. Ones that she could easily get caught up in no time. Being a brain did have its advantages sometimes.

Daylight was now filtering into their small bedroom that they shared. The two had held each other all night long. Just being in one another's arms was an amazing feeling. One that they never tired of. It was how every day should end and how every day should start. With the two of them wrapped around each other and showing the great deal of love they had for one another.

But Willow could sense that there was something that Tara wasn't sharing. And after what they had recently been through, it hurt. For she knew that she had overreacted a bit the last time. But she had finally come around. Had she done something to upset her everything? Or was it something else.

As if sensing her uneasiness, Tara sighed heavily. "There is something I've held back. And it's not because I was afraid you couldn't handle it, I've been trying to figure out if it is for real." Willow looked up at her. Tara was sitting up and Willow had her head on her lover's stomach. "I had a dream while you were in the hospital. One that foretold of what is two happen to our little girls."

"Girls?" Willow smiled a little at the thought. "Not important. What exactly was it that you saw? Don't be afraid to share. Remember, it was just a dream."

"That's what I'm not so sure of." Tara smiled sadly. "It was so real. More real then any dream I've ever had before. It was almost like a...."

"Prophecy?" Tara nodded. "Kinda like those slayer dreams that Buffy has had from time to time. That's creepy. And scary. Scary cause I can tell that it was something of the not so good, that's for sure."

"The first part of the dream was nice." Tara smiled a little brighter as she recalled the images she had seen. "I was making breakfast for the little ones. We named them Amber and Alyson. They were almost five years old. And they were getting grossed out by their two mothers kissing. It was so cute. Then I remembered the scars. The twins had scars on their bellies. And I was transported to this place. I'd say it was the cave that Faith was held in. I saw..."

Willow slowly sat up. She could see tears forming in those sea of blue eyes. And pain. So much pain was in them. And just at the remembrance of this dream. No wonder she had held off sharing. Especially under the present conditions of her pregnancy. "Go on. It's all right. I can see how painful. But just tell me. We've got to figure it out. Knowledge if safety."

This made Tara smile sadly again. But the tears still slowly streaked down her cheeks. "I heard the cries." She swallowed hard. "I could see you and me chained to the wall, gagged." Again she swallowed hard. "I saw our two little girls. There was blood. They'd been cut. And Buffy and Faith. They hung on the wall. The knife came closer. That's when I woke up."

Willow reached out her hand and wiped the tears away. She put her hand on the back of Tara's head and pulled her down into a kiss. A deep passionate kiss. One that was meant to take away some of the pain, hurt, and the helplessness that she knew her everything was feeling.

They pulled back and green eyes stared into blue. Love was sent in waves between them. The comfort that brought was amazing to both. It was just amazing to be in each other's arms. So many things had happened in the relatively short time that they'd known each other. But it was amazing too. How in an instant they knew. Knew that they would be together, forever and for always. Nothing but one thing could ever make them part.

"I'm not sure if it was a dream or a prophecy." Willow smiled a small smile. "But even if it weren't just your worse nightmare come true and it is a prophecy, we've been able to overcome prophecies many times. So many times. This is no different. If we know what to expect, we can overcome it. Somehow. We always seem to do."

"I know." Tara's voice was soft and sad. "But I still hate the thought of anything happening to our little ones. And we don't even know for sure what this ritual will do. We still haven't found that out."

Willow sat up and pulled her everything into her arms. "Just relax. Easier said then done I do realize. But we can't do anything else. We just have to go on what we know. We know that Buffy is back in her world it was far worse then this one. Faith is free and ready to kick some demon butt. We sorta have the help of Ethan which I'm still not sure of. Spike is fighting at our side. And we have each other. We can overcome anything as long as we have each other. You know that as well as I do."

Tara squeezed her hard for a moment. "Didn't I used to be the one that was all keeping our focus and looking on the bright side?"

Willow chuckled softly. "Yeah. When did that change?" Again she laughed softly. "Don't think it's really changed. I just think that you were the one that saw the things. And it felt so real to you. The good and the bad. So, you are the one that has that extra fear. And extra motivator to avoid those things happening. Seeing and feeling are believing."

"Feeling." Tara put her hand on Willow's belly. "Knowing." She kissed her gently on the lips. "Believing." She put her forehead on Willow's and stared into those emerald green eyes. They would be priceless if they were real jewels. No one could put a price on her.

"Always." Willow intertwined their left hands and the rings that they shared touched. It was like they were reaffirming what went without saying. They loved each other and were part of one another. That would never change. But just to be able to retell those things. Make sure that the other knew them, that's what life was about. They would get through anything as long as they held on to one another. Forever and for always.


	76. 76

AN First off my friends, happy belated holidays! Sorry for not updating. For those that are still interested, my book has an official release date now! Feb 27! Preorder is available. Ordering information is now up on my website. Sorry for overlooking that. Thanks for all those that have checked out the site. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Hopefully it won't take so long for the next update. And to my muse who I love always.

A few months have passed since last we saw the gang of Sunnydale. Nothing has happened since that time. Buffy and Faith have spent a lot of time patrolling together. The two seem to be growing closer and closer together. Spike has distanced himself from the rest. He has these feelings of jealousy over the two slayers. Giles and Mrs. Summers have grown close. So close that on this very day the two have decided to move in together. Much to the blond slayer's chagrin. Xander and Anya have continued their dating rituals, with Xander having a nice little plan for his beloved. And Tara and Willow have been busy preparing for the arrival of their two little daughters. With some surprising help from one Ethan Rayne.

Soon summer would be upon the gang. School had already been let out for the summer season. It was supposed to be a time of relaxing for most college students. But not our gang. Buffy had decided to go back to college. She took up where the Buffy of this time had left off. It seemed more and more that she was fitting into this time. It was almost like none of the bad things that had been predicted were to happen. There was that false sense of security. Or was it like the calm before the storm? Or both?

Xander smiled to himself as he lay out the blanket and food for the picnic he had planned. He smiled for two reasons. He remembered his best friend telling him how she had so carefully done something so similar for her girl. The flowers, the food, the ring in his pocket. And he knew that Anya didn't have a clue at this point. It was going to be the surprise of her life. He hoped that it would be a very good surprise indeed.

He had all of her favorite foods waiting for her. They had gotten so close over the past year that he knew her likes and dislikes by heart. And today was too special of a day for him to royally screw it up like he usually did. The ole geek in him always seemed to find a way to screw up anything that he wanted so badly. Would this be any different?

Suddenly, he started to panic. He started to sweat quite profusely. It wouldn't do for Anya to see him like this. He had to stay calm, cool and collect for things to go as well as he wanted them to. And he would die, well not literally, if something were to go badly. This was the woman that he loved so much and wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

A shadow fell across him. He looked up to see the amazing woman that he planed on spending the rest of his life with. He had been so wrapped up in his own world. His own fearst that he had not heard her come up behind him. Just taking one look at her made him relax. He let out the breath that he hadn't known he was holding in.

"Anya!" Quickly the carpenter stood up. "You look great! Come. Sit down. Have some food. It's yummy. And all just for you."

The exdemon smiled down out her boyfriend before she sat down next to him. "What is all of this Xander? Not that I'm complaining, but it really isn't necessary you know that. We could have stayed inside and out of the sun and in a cool place and had lunch. Or do you prefer the nice fresh air? Or is this a hint that I need the fresh air and possibly a tan? Am I too pale for you? Is that it?"

Before she could continue, Xander kissed her gently. "Now, to answer your questions. Anya, you look great no matter what. I just thought that outside would be more romantic way for the two of us to spend the afternoon. And there is something else." He slipped his hand in his pocket. "This isn't exactly the way I saw myself doing this, but I guess as long as I ask and the answer is the one that I'm hoping for..."

At this, Anya's eyes widened considerably. She held her hand out in instinct. "I don't know what you are talking about. So I'll just let you continue. Without saying anything. Without interrupting. Without getting in the way."

Xander smiled and took a deep breath to get his thoughts in order. "We've been dating now for over a year. I have to admit at first that I wasn't sure about dating an exdemon. Especially one that cursed men. But I soon realized that you did that because in a way you cared about women. And hated men. So for you to find something with me, I find it amazing. That me, this ordinary guy, is the one that you are willing to try and make a life with. And I couldn't be happier. Well, that's not true. I could be happier." Xander slowly opened up the box. "One thing could make me the happiest guy in the world. If you, Anya Jenkins would do me the honor of marrying me. I'd be the luckiest guy in the world."

Tears were in the corner of Anya's eyes. Her mouth looked like it was trying to work, but no sound was coming out. She held out her left hand even further. Xander took it and put the ring on her finger. "Xander! I'm so happy!" She threw her arms around him and pulled him into a tight embrace. "When? Can it be soon? I want it to be soon. Perhaps a June wedding. Don't care if that's cliche. I just want you as my husband as soon as possible."

"Whenever you want, my love." Xander held her tight. "I love you. And we'll be with each other for the rest of our lives. So I have no worries."

"You should." Both turned to see about half a dozen human looking creatures. The only thing that made you realize they were far from human was their eyes. They were these pools of what looked like swamp water. This green/brown with specs of black throughout. These guys were definitely far from the human category. "We are your worries."

Before either Anya or Xander could react, one of the demons had a hold of the carpenter. "What should I do with this one? He's not the one that the boss wants."

Before the leader could respond, two more of his demon buddies had a tight grip on Anya and were taping her mouth shut. "Just leave him. Well, make him take a nice nap before we go. The boss wants the woman. He's no concern of ours." The demon holding Xander smiled before he pulled back and punched him in the face. It was a solid hit and he was out before he hit the ground.

It wasn't long before the demons had Anya in the cave. Drusilla danced into the light of the surrounding torches. She clapped her hands together like an excited young school girl. "Oh goody! You finally got me my pressie. About time. I've waited so long for the key."

Anya's eyes widened as Drusilla came towards her. She flashed instantly to her demon days. Something she hadn't remembered until that very moment. She remembered one little incident that happened. One where she nearly didn't survive. It was a showdown with the insane vampire. That had been one hell of a battle.

"You do remember me." Drusilla put her hand over her chest. "I'm so touched. It will make things easier. You know dear, even in human form, you have more power then most demons do. And I'm going to use that to my advantage." She quickly turned her back on the exdemon. "Make her comfortable. She has a bit of a stay with us. One that she won't survive."

''''''''''

Many of Willow and Tara's days had been spent together. Not only had Willow taken a leave of absence from her classes, so had Tara. It had left more time for the two of them to spend time together. They had also spent time with the gang as well. There always seemed to be time for one another. And Willow so hoped that the original scoobies would always find time for each other. It was something she couldn't imagine. The four of them ever on opposite sides like Buffy had told them about.

Willow would look at Buffy and wonder about the scars that she had on her face. There were so many of them. So many she wondered how she had survived for all of these years. And how many of those scars had her alternate ego inflicted on her best friend. That thought sometimes kept her up at night.

But thinking happy thoughts were of the day. For she was alone with her girl. They had nothing special planned. And it didn't matter. The thing that mattered was that the two of them were together and things were of the quiet for once. Were they too calm? That was always a possibility. Things seemed to go calm before they got bad.

But she wasn't about to let thoughts like that get to her. Negative thoughts were no longer allowed. They couldn't be. That negative thinking could lead to a negative effect on her little ones. And that was the last thing that she wanted. She wanted two healthy little girls. Ones that were strong and a lot like their mother. Tara had a strength that few knew about or understood. It was a quiet kind of strength. One that Willow didn't know what she would do without that in her life. One that she counted on always.

Of the two of them, Tara was the one with the strength. She was the one with the control. She was the one with the true knowledge. Willow might be this ultimate geek, book smart woman, but Tara had this instinct about her. One that rarely seemed to lead her astray. She just seemed to know what to say or do.

Willow could sense that inner strength the minute their hands touched so long ago on that accidental meeting. One that to this day she didn't think was an accident. Something told her that it had been destiny to meet that the two should and would always be together. Was the world trying to protect itself? Or had some other powers out there put these two lucky women together.

That thought made Willow smile. What if something or someone had wanted them to meet. Was there someone or something looking out for them? Had she broken up with Oz just because she was fated to be with Tara? That Tara was the real love of her life? That the two were to be together for ever and for always with no one else getting between them?

The redhead knew the answer to that one. No one would ever come between the two of them. They were fated to be together. They shared one heartbeat. They shared so much that they were like two halves finding each other after the longest of times. It felt right. It felt amazing. It felt like there was no other place that they should be then to be with each other.

"I still think you should be in bed." Tara was outside on the patio. Willow was standing beside her. The two were grilling up some vegetables. Eating a little healthier since the two were soon to be moms.

"Don't be silly." Willow wrapped her arms around her. "I've been fine for the past two months. No more little false alarms. Or big ones. Nadda. Just you and me and alone time and it was great. We better enjoy it after all it will be soon that we are blessed with two little girls. I'm sure they'll be bundles of energy."

"If they take after you, they certainly will." Tara leaned back into her girl. The feel of the ever growing belly made her smile and happy. Those were part of her. Lives that she help to create and was going to be responsible for.

"And what does that mean?" Willow gently kissed her girl's neck. She put her head on her shoulder and inhaled the wonderful scent. The smell of her girl. She loved every last bit about her. From her touch to her smell.

"After last night, you can play miss innocent and act as if nothing happened?" Tara turned around in her lover's arms. Her blue eyes met with green ones. "You are supposed to be taking it easy. That's not what I'd call easy. You were..."

"Passionate?" Willow smiled an innocent smile. "You bring out the vixen in me. You bring out the woman that wants me to show you every day what you mean to me. I love to show you how much I love you. And I don't care what the doctors say. I think it's good for our little ones to feel so much love."

"I can't argue with that last part." Tara smiled big. "Or any of it. You are quite the vixen." She smiled even bigger. "You are my vixen." She kissed Willow on the nose before turning her attention back to the vegetables. "Time to eat, my vixen. You want to eat out here or inside?"

Willow looked up at the warm afternoon sun. As much as she loved the daytime and being outside, it was getting hot. There was a little bit of sweat forming on her forehead. "Don't know if it's the sun or what but I think I need to cool off a bit. Though, if I'm next to you, I doubt that will be easily done."

Tara couldn't help but laugh. The last couple months had seemed like a dream. There had barely even been any vampire sightings by Faith and Buffy. Not that much in other demon activity as well. And Drusilla seemed to have gone underground for good. The two had lived like a normal couple for the past two months. They'd barely even used magick at all.

Except for the one spell the two did together. Willow finally convinced Tara that she was strong enough and all right enough to try it again. She still wanted to find out who her real parents were. So, she'd done a spell individually. Both had said that they were right in Sunnydale. But that couldn't be true, now could it?

It wasn't long before the two were inside and in the coolness of an air conditioned apartment. The two sat at the kitchen table and enjoyed cups of tea and the yummy grilled veggies they had so carefully prepared. The two ate in silence. Playing footsie under the table the whole time they ate.

Willow's smile faded suddenly. "Tara, I need..." Her breath became ragged and she couldn't finish her sentence. "Time." That's all that she managed to say.

"Oh my!" Tara was up like a shot. She grabbed the bag from the bedroom that they had prepared. "Can you walk? Do you need my help? Do you want me to call an ambulance?"

"No..." Willow doubled over in pain. "Time." She managed to get herself to their bedroom. "Coming." Again, she was cutoff by a sharp pain. "Now."

Tara was by her side in an instant. She had her positioned so that she could help in any way that she could. "Shouldn't I call 911?" Willow shook her head and let out a scream. That's when Tara noticed a little head starting to makes its way out. "No time is right." Instantly, she had her hands underneath the new little one. Slowly, the baby made its way into the world.

Crying. That's what the baby and both mothers were doing. Yet they had to do another round. It didn't take long again for the newest life to be born. And this one was a bit of surprise. Instead of having two little girls, the two witches found themselves with a little boy and a little girl. Now that was surprising.

"They're both healthy." Tara held the boy in her hands while Willow held tight to the little girl. "And they are both amazing. Just like you."

"Just like us." The two sat there, enjoying the fact that they were now mothers. Not just mothers to be. It was an amazing feeling. One that only another parent could ever hope to understand. And they forgot about Tara's dream. About the warnings. About what future might be for their two little innocent ones.


	77. 77

AN Hey gang. Sorry since so long. Book, life, the usual excuses. Just gonna write now. And to my muse who I love more then life, you still inspire me.

The cries were coming from all around. Some were sweet cries. Some were full of terror. But they were coming from everywhere and anywhere. It was enough to make a person go insane. Really truly insane. That's why Anya kept her hands over her ears and tried to think of anything but where she was.

The cries were for a reason. It was all over the demon world. The two most powerful babies ever to exist had been born. And that was what everyone in the dark world had been waiting for. But none more so then a certain crazy vampire.

Drusilla let her lackeys cry, for now. For she knew that she had been pushing them hard. But to be a good evil leader one had to push your intelligent lacking minions. And besides, the vampire loved to inflict pain on people or things or whatever was handy at the moment. Although humans still held her preference. That's because most were innocent in nature. Including the two little arrivals to the world.

The insane vampire knew her opportunity for success was slim. The window of margin was so slim. It was true that she now held Anya, a powerful human in her own right. But she did not have the most important ingredients as of yet. She lacked a slayer and she lacked the babies.

The slayer would be easy. She'd been watching the two slayers patrol. She knew they had a routine about them. And they were beginning to rely on each other rather heavily at the moment. And that was a weakness she planned on taking advantage of.

The babies would be another thing all together. They were protected by the two most powerful witches in Sunnydale and possibly the world. That was going to be the tricky part. Getting the two babies that she so desperately needed. And then it hit her. The idea that would garner her both of what she needed.

Drusilla clapped her hands together garnering the attention of her lackeys. All eyes were on her in an instant as well as total silence followed. Anya uncovered her ears. She needed to hear what was going on. She maybe chained to a wall but there was still the possibility that whatever she learned now could come in handy later.

"Everyone, I have plans for you." The insane vampire began swaying back and forth as if she were dancing to a melody that only she could hear. "As everyone knows by now, what we've all been waiting for. The ones have arrived. And that means my destiny and the world's demise is not that far away. But we have to get one of the slayers and we have to get the little ones."

"Beggin your pardon my queen, but getting the little ones will be nearly impossible." A squirmy little vampire stepped out of the pack of minions. "But getting the slayers will be even harder. Fighting one slayer is nearly impossible. Fighting two is like have a death wish."

Drusilla leapt from the edge of the stones that she had been standing on looking down at her minions. From behind her she pulled a wooden stake. "I don't accept talk like that. From anyone." Without hesitation, she plunged the stake through the vampires heart. "You don't think I haven't thought of all of the possibilities? You think that I don't know what could happen?"

All of the demon followers quickly backed up. There was silence all around. They knew that if anyone spoke now it would mean that their lives would soon end. That what life they had would not be worth living if she did let them live.

"Now, for those of you still here you will have your assignments. I know exactly when and where to strike." Without effort the vampire leapt back to her perch to look down on her minions. "Tonight after the sun goes down we will all attack. Yes, even including me. We will all show these goody two shoes what evil really is."

It was well after midnight as the gang was now gathered round The Magic Box. Willow and the twins had been checked out at the hospital and all was well. Tara had the little girl in her arms while Willow had her protective arms around her little boy. As happy a moment as this should be for all of them, it was not. Anya had been gone for a day now. And who knew if she were still alive or not.

Buffy and Faith stood in the corner watching the whole thing unfold. They were both like caged animals at the moment. None of their patrols were producing many kills. And they knew the big bad doom was now on it's way. After all, the twins had been born. And that was the key. It still was the key.

Giles sat at the table with book upon book sitting around him. They were still so blind going into all of this. No one knew for sure what was going to happen. Not that it wasn't the first time that they would be going into a battle with little to no information. But Giles hated going into battle blind. Specially with two little ones now in the mix.

"We have to figure out what is going to happen." Giles stood and began pacing. He took off his glasses and began wiping them. "We have nothing at the moment as far as what is going to happen. We don't even know for sure where Drusilla is. And we have no clue as to where she's taken Anya."

"Tell us some good news G-man." Xander stood up and made his way towards the counter. There was an axe like weapon sitting on the counter and he snatched it up. "It's time that some dying took place. I can't lose Anya now."

Willow stood up and made her way in front of Xander. "Xander, you need to calm down. I mean I know your girlfriend was abducted and all. And believe when I say I know how you feel bout her being in danger. Wasn't that long ago that I almost lost Tara. And then I was stupid and not forgiving of her. But that's besides the point. You know that we'll do everything in our power to get her back."

Xander's eyes met with the new blue eyes of the little boy in his best friend's arms. They were the bluest eyes that anyone had ever seen. So much like his mother's. Tara's eyes were so similar but yet there seemed to be something there. Like a hidden knowledge or power or something. Even though he hadn't looked into those eyes only a few times now, it seemed to have a calming effect on him.

"Hey little Alexander." Xander played with his namesakes chin a bit. Without even thinking about it, he placed the weapon he had picked up back in the counter. He then looked up into those pleading eyes of Willow's and could see that she had a fear there as well. One for the baby that she was holding in her arms.

Buffy eyed the situation from the corner. She hadn't bothered to bring Spike in on this. Yet anyways. She got the major wiggins every time that she was around him. Not that she didn't trust him. She knew that this Spike had a vampire and had fought on the side of the scoobies well before that. But there was still something there that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Faith was glued to Buffy. It seemed that she was now codependent on the original slayer. She had no faith in her own self if you will pardon the pun. For someone that used to be so cocky and sure of herself she now let others lead. Even in battle she would rather let others take the lead.

Tara sat quietly with the little red haired girl that snuggled into her chest. The one that was clearly more like Willow even though she was only literally a day old. Not just the red hair either. There were just so many traits like her mother. And the blond witch could just feel the power that emanated from her baby girl. It was almost scary, especially when you combined it with her brothers own power.

Giles smiled as he watched how calmly that Willow handled the near blowup by Xander. Even though the carpenter for the most part was the most calm headed of them all, he even had his boiling points. And losing the woman that he loved so dearly would be that point.

He looked around at the other members of the young adults that had so easily given up their normal lives so that they could help fight the forces of evil. It made him proud to see how far they've all come. And all the while resisting the temptation of going over to that dark side.

His eyes met with Willow's for a lone solitary moment. There was so much power there still untapped. If he had really been honest with himself, he would have realized it the minute that they had met so many years ago. She not only was an intellect like himself but a powerful person overall.

And she had proven that power more then once. And what was better was the fact that she had realized the fact that that power could so easily be the destruction of herself and others around her. That was where she had come the furthest in his opinion.

But back to the problem at hand. They were still at a loss. Tara had tried doing a locator spell to find Drusilla but wherever she had herself hidden was cloaked somehow. And they still couldn't find any information on what she would want with a slayer and the babies of two powerful witches.

The possibilities were quite scary. The natural power that a slayer possessed once they were activated were terrifying. And even a potential slayer had a great deal of power inside. And with the power that Tara and Willow possessed to combine them together in two offspring was mind boggling.

And now you had to add to that Anya. Giles had kept back the fact that the exdemon also had a great deal of power inside of herself. She was this instant untapped power source for someone that knew how to use it.

At that moment, little Jenny started to scream. It wasn't long before Alexander was doing the same. It appeared that the two little ones shared this bond between them. Willow clutched her little boy even tighter. Tara stood up and made her way towards her lover and her other little one.

Before anyone could react, the front windows crashed in. Demons, vampires, and a certain insane vampire were among them. Drusilla's wild black hair flowed in the cool night air. The moonlight made her skin look even paler as she made her entrance.

Buffy and Faith were instantly in front of the rest of the scoobies taking a fighting stance. They had weapons and stakes at the ready. As any good slayer would say, one can never be too careful about the weapons that one carried. The more the merrier.

"Hello all." Drusilla sauntered to the front of her lackeys. "Now, if you'll just kindly hand over the little ones we'll be more then happy to leave you alive. Perhaps not unharmed but still breathing."

"That is not an option." Buffy took another step towards the evil vampire. "You are not going anywhere with those innocent babies. And we know that you still want one of us slayers. There is no way in hell that that is ever going to happen. Only over both our dead bodies."

"You tell her B!" Faith stood a little straighter waiting for the attack. She was wondering why they hadn't just attacked. Them crashing in the way they had had been like an alarm going off.

"Really." Drusilla shook her head. "That can so easily be arranged. In fact, the way things are it won't matter much if you are dead or alive. I just like bleeding people while they are still alive. That much more fun."

Not another word was said. All hell broke loose instead. Buffy and Faith attacked the first wave of demons. But there were simply too many of them. It didn't take long for some of them to leak through their line of defense. That's when Giles and Xander took up the fight. In the corner, Tara and Willow held tight to their little ones. A protection spell on both their lips at the same time.

Something that no one ever expected to happen happened. Drusilla pulled out a gun. Both slayers looked shocked as four of her lackeys held both slayers tightly in their grasp and held them out like human targets. The insane vampire took aim and shot them.

Instead of a loud gun shot, there was only a slight sound. Both young women were shot with a tranquilizer instead of a bullet. With their sped up metabolisms it didn't take long for the sleeping drugs to kick in. Giles watched in horror as both his slayers slid to the ground. But it wasn't long before darkness overtook him as well. Xander watched in horror as a horde of demons made their way for Willow and Tara. But before he could do anything, darkness overtook him aswell.

Just as the demons were about to make their way through the protection spell that both witches had been trying to keep up, the demons were blasted away. Drusilla screeched as she saw who had made his way through the back entrance of The Magic Box. Ethan stood tall in front of the two young witches. One that didn't know that he was in fact her father.

"You traitorous little man." Drusilla started for the sorcerer. But she was instantly sent back like her own lackeys had just been seconds ago.

"You will not touch these children." Ethan's eyes were a blacker then black. It was as if pure evil was rolling around in them. But yet he was managing to keep it all together and use it for the good that was needed of him.

"I will have them." Dursilla again made her way towards the two witches. Most of her minions had already left with the two slayers as had been part of the plan. But Ethan being there was certainly a monkey wrench in the plans.

"Girls, go now!" Ethan held up his hand. As the two young witches were about to sneak out the back door, the sorcerer waved his hands. The two little ones disappeared from their loving mothers' arms. "I'm sorry ladies but only I can keep them save. Now go. I promise to protect them."

Willow's eyes grew black in an instant. Tara was urging that they should go that they could trust Ethan but that they need to go. And she was pulling on Willow's arms. But the redhead ignored it. Ignored it all. Everything was blacked out at that moment.

Drusilla stopped in her tracks. She knew when to run. And now was that time. Slowly, Willow made her way toward Ethan. Her voice was dark, not like her own in the least. "Give me back my children now!" The voice seemed to thunder everywhere. "I won't guarantee that you will live if you don't give them back."

"Willow!" Tara's pleading voice fell on death ears. The blond took several steps back as her everything turned towards her. Not only were her eyes dark, but her hair was now darker then the night. And there were dark veins across her face. "Willow?" There was now a weakness to the young woman's voice.

"Willow doesn't live here anymore." Willow snapped her attention towards Ethan but he was now gone. "Now look what you've done. He's gone! And with my babies." Willow dug her nails into her hands so much that blood started to drip from them. "I will have my revenge. He will pay! The world will pay if they are harmed." There was this waver of light and she was gone. Leaving Tara wondering what was going to happen. And if she would ever get her love back again.


	78. 78

AN Thanks to all those that are still reading and have checked out my webiste. Amazing that my book is out in only a couple weeks. Anyways, hope you like the latest installment. I love you my sweet.

Spike wandered through the sewers. Daylight had yet to really hit, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before it did. And he would be instant ash if a stray ray of sun hit upon an exposed skin. So he chose not to take any chances.

Something had been bothering him for a long time. This Buffy seemed to not trust him. Seemed to be more inclined to be with Faith then with him. After falling in love with his Buffy, it was difficult to see this Buffy as just a friend.

He smiled a bit to himself as he had once seen Buffy as nothing more then a play thing. Someone to test his vampire skills. To kill or be killed. And that seemed to be when life was much more simple for the vampire. For now, things were complicated.

His heart ached for the touch of a woman that no longer existed. One that would now sooner seen him staked then to work beside him. If he had been there earlier, he could have possibly made the difference, though he knew that the odds were still well stacked against him. But if he'd known, he would have given his life for her.

But she had done her usual. This Buffy had shunned him. And shunned him well. He would as sooner kill her himself then fight on her side. Wouldn't he? He shook his head not knowing the answer to that question. Not really. Would he ever know?

Spike looked up and sighed. He was where he had been on his way to. Was he prepared for this? What he thought he had to do? The old him would do anything. Could do anything. But the soul that burned within him made it hard sometimes. It made him holdback at times. And that was not a good thing in a fight.

There were two vampires guarding the entrance. They tried to stop him. But he made quick work of them. He made his way into the underground cavern. The one that he knew Drusilla had made her home. And would be the site of whatever evil she had in store.

More demons and vampires noticed his arrival. He ignored them and called out, "Hey Dru! I'm back. Did you miss the big bad?"

Drusilla eyed him for only a second. "Why would I want something that a soul burns inside of. It's bright. And lights your way from the dark."

Spike smiled big. "Not anymore, luv." The vampire launched himself so that he was next to the insane vampire. "Now, I ignore the light. Now, I am one with you baby." He took Drusilla into a very passionate kiss.

"This is just what I needed." Dursilla smiled. "A real vampire on my side." She smiled bigger. "You can watch over the slayers. I know you can take them. Until we make another go for the babies."

"As you wish, pet." Spike made his way over to where Buffy and Faith hung on a cavern wall. He morphed into vampire mode. "Now let's see who has the bigger bite luvs."

* * *

Tara stared at the basinet. The one that was built for two little ones. Her two little angels should now be laying in them sound asleep while she and her everything held hands and made sure that everything was safe for them.

But things were far from safe for her little ones. And for her everything. Tears were flowing down her cheek. They had never really stopped since Ethan had taken them. And she didn't know where he was hiding out with them. And that was not only making her sad, but she was beginning to feel the anger build up inside of her.

There was a flash and a flame started in the middle of the room. For a moment she watched the flame as if she had been hypnotized. Finally, she shook her head. And she waived her hand to put out the fire that she had unknowingly started with her powers.

Sighing, she started for the kitchen. Most would wonder why she was at home only hours after her little ones were taken. And with her partner gone and nowhere to be found most would think that she should be out looking for them.

She had in her way. She had taken to scrying for them. For three of the most powerful beings that had every existed, they appeared to be nowhere. She knew that Willow was somehow blocking her attempts. Or at least figured as much. She just wondered what Ethan was up to. And how he had come into the power needed to pull off what he had.

Tara took out the tea bag and started the tea pot. She needed something to calm her. Something to help her focus on a way to get her life back to the way that it should be. But how? She knew that Giles was working on things. But he had limited resources every since the council dismissed him. And she was now the one with the real magical knowledge. It fell to her shoulders.

That's when she picked up the mug that she had had her tea bag in and through it against the wall. She collapsed to the floor sobbing. It just hurt so much. No one should ever have to deal with their little ones being taken from them. But to have to deal with it without your lifeline. The one that made you want to get up in the morning. It was unfair to say the least.

Soon, Tara's body was convulsing. The pain was just so unreal. She had gone through so many things in her young life. Not that her father had ever been pleasant, but the moment that her mother had died was the moment that her life had turned into a living hell. And why she had gone on the run at such a young age.

Then she had met Willow. And slowly things had changed. It would have been wonderful if the two of them had been only able to be friends. But something had developed from the moment that they had laid eyes on one another. There was just something about everything. Like the fates had destined them to be together.

And if the fates had destined that, had they also destined them to be the only lesbian couple ever to be able to have children? And if so, had these same fates destined her to lose Willow and the babies and to be in this much pain. Would she feel anything but pain again?

Tara sat up suddenly. She could have sworn she heard someone calling mother to her. Breathing heavily, she looked around. There was no way that there could be anyone here. But she smiled a little to herself as some of the pain erased itself. But only a little.

Another childlike voice called out to her. Again, it was calling her mother. The smile grew just a bit, though it retained its sadness and pain. Her little ones were finding a way to talk to her. They only may be a day old, but they were already well aware of their powers and were using them.

"I'm here babies." Tara's voice cracked there was so much pain there. And from the constant crying she had done. Not only for her family, but also for Buffy and Faith. "I don't know where to find you. But I'm still here. I'll always be here for you. I love you both more then anything more in the world. I need you little ones."

"Mommy!" The little voices were now in unison. And there was an unmistakable fear in those voices. They were scared. "We need you mommy! He won't let us go. And we need to be with you. Both our mommies. Our else."  
Tara felt her heart leap at that last statement. They needed to be with both she and Willow or else. Else what? She didn't really want to know. There was already what Drusilla had planned. And that was unknown still.

"Where are you my babies?" Tara was now full of fear. A fear that she hadn't known could exist. "I need your help in telling me where you are. That way I can bring mommy with me and we'll be together again."  
"Mommy is not with you." Those sad voices made tears run down her face. "But we know where she is. She's at the place of power. And we're in a place for disguises. Find us, before it's too late."

Tara shook her head. Place of all the power? Place for disguises? Where the hecatate was that? And would she be able to figure out where that was before it was too late? She jumped to her feet and grabbed her jacket. This was no time for phone calls. She needed Giles. And he was at the one place there might still be answers. Answers that just might come too late.

* * *

Willow surveyed her new home. Though she knew it really wasn't home at all. Not without Tara. And not without her babies. But this little abandoned warehouse she had found would just have to do. And with her magical ability, it could be turned into home.

The witch blew up some of the abandoned boxes. It should make her feel better to be able to do that simple little release. But it didn't. Nothing in the past few hours seemed to help. And she knew why. Deep down she knew why. She just wouldn't admit it to herself. That this dark way was not the way.

She flashed back to the time in England. Where she and Tara had both gone as part vacation, but more importantly to learn to control their powers. She knew back then that there was this force inside of her. And she knew that it was growing everyday. Not by things that she did. But just because it's the way that it was supposed to be.

Another zap of her unmatched power and another set of boxes met their fate. It just made her feel hollow inside. Without the ones that you loved, you were nothing. You were weak. There was no point in going on. And giving up on getting them back would be the final straw.

But she had yet to give up. She could still feel that burning inside when she thought of Tara. And she knew that even if it took a lifetime, her everything would forgive her for turning to the dark side the way that she had. And there was the ache for the touch. Just a look from those amazing innocent eyes that she had helped create. And that would be enough to drain all the darkness from inside of her.

That would be the one thing that would turn her for good. She knew this. Even with Tara out there waiting for her return, or searching for her, it would not be enough for her to return to the goodness and control that she had once prided herself on.

Willow closed her eyes. She reached out with every fiber of her being. Just trying to find a glimmer. A shimmer. A bit of anything that would indicate where her little ones were at this moment.

Lightening flew out across the room. She slammed her hands into the wall as failure yet again. There was nothing. Nothing for her to see. Nothing for her to sense. Nothing for her to hear. Ethan couldn't be that good. She was better. There had to be a way for her to find her little ones.

A whimper brought Willow out of her thoughts. There laying on the floor was the former owner of the warehouse that she now called home. Well, temporarily. In time she would gain back everything she had lost. At any cost.

The man looked like he had been through twenty rounds in a boxing tournament. Both his eyes were showing the signs of becoming black. Blood dripped down from his nose and down his neck. A pool was already slowly forming on the ground. One ear was torn at the top. There were other noticeable cuts and bruises all over his face.

Again, the man whimpered. "Do shut up." Willow waved her hand and the man's mouth was sewn shut. "I can't stand a poor loser. I told you I was taking this place. You were the one that had to put up a fight. You got what you deserved."

The man was only semiconscious at this point. But he managed to look up at her, hatred burning in his eyes. He tried to get up, but Willow waved her hand and he was instantly sent back to the ground. Again he tried to get up.

Willow shook her head and sighed. "Good dogs stay. Now stay!" Her voice echoed throughout the warehouse. The man began trembling with a fear that he had never known before. "I'm trying to think. I don't need to hear your whining."

Slowly, Willow sauntered over to the lone window in the warehouse. The sun was just beginning to peak out over the horizon. She smiled at the unexpected memory of waking up in Tara's arms after they'd snuggled on the rooftop all night long. Back when they were still so new into their relationship.

And another memory hit her. One that made her want to strike out at anything and anyone. The fact that she'd held her babies on a morning like this just after they had been brought into the world.

She couldn't contain herself. She sent a fireball out. In her anger and grief she didn't even bother to aim. It just shot out of her with all the pain and hate that she had inside of herself. And she didn't care who or what got in its way. It was their own fault for existing when she was in such pain.

It was her way of crying now. For no matter how much pain she was in, all the dark magics were blocking out her ability to feel anything but anger and pain. They let her no way to release it. Other then how she had.

Another whimper from the man that she had beaten so badly caught her attention. She raised her hand, another fireball growing steadily by the second. She pulled back and was about to throw it when a voice entered her head. She shook it off at first, trying to ignore it.

But then, it wasn't just one voice. It was two. And they were familiar. Ones that she had heard when she imagined when her two little ones were older. They were calling to her. Or was it someone else? Was someone playing a trick on her?

"Mommy, please stop." The voices were so sad. And there was also a bit of fear to them. "Please don't hurt the man anymore."

The fireball instantly disappeared in a puff of smoke. Willow didn't even notice as the man started to crawl out of the warehouse. Instead, she closed her eyes and tried to find where the voices were coming from. They had to be near. They just had to.

"You can't find us." The voices were now mostly just sad. "Grandpa won't let you. But you can help defeat the bad lady. Just go to the place of power. The one that is the source of knowledge. Hurry mommy! Mommy is waiting there for you."  
A solitary tear slowly fell down Willow's cheek. It was all that she would allow herself. It was all that the darkness would allow. For she now knew how to get her babies back. And there was nothing in the world that would stop her from getting her little ones back. A dark smile appeared on her face at the thought of nothing.

She was about to shimmer to The Magic Box when something dawned on her. Something that her babies said to her. Grandpa? What the hecatae! Had her real father come back to town without her knowing it? That was definitely a possibility. After all, she was still clueless about that. She'd been left with no leads.

Then it totally hit her. The fact that 'grandpa' had them. It really hit her. And she knew. For the first time in her life she knew. Her father was a man that loved chaos. That worshiped evil things. And had been evil in the past. Granted, he had been helping. But was all that to get his hands on his grandchildren? Because if it was, heaven help Ethan Rayne for the terror that Willow would rain down upon him.


	79. 79

AN Gee, an update so soon. Who knew? Anyways, hope you likey still. Gonna keep trying to write. And to my muse, thanks for always bein there for me. Always.

Ethan knew that he had taken a big risk in kidnaping his own grandchildren. The two young ones were well behaved. Not that they felt safe by any means, but they just knew that at this point there was nothing that could be done. It was like they had accepted the fact that what was happening was going to happen.

He sighed heavily as he felt it. It was a feeling that he was all too familiar with. It was that feeling one got with the darkside. It was that buzz that one felt when one was high on the darkest of magicks. And it was a power that he had never felt before. One so strong that it was frightening. Especially since he knew who was behind the power source. It could only be one person. And that was his daughter.

That was the one thing in all of this. He felt he was being cheated by the fact that he was not getting to really know his daughter. It was silly at this point to feel that way. For there were bigger things going on then just his need to get to know his daughter. After so many years though she was just so close.

He had never known who she was. And then, we he had found out, it was priceless. After all, there was that connection that he had to Ripper. And then to find out his daughter was oh so close to his former partner in chaos. It was ironic.

His eventual enemy was the one that was now closer to his own flesh and blood then he was. It was like the fates were laughing at him. Like it was the way that it was supposed to be. It was like a great big slap in the face.

One that he would hit back with, that's for sure. He would not be stopped from claiming his own flesh and blood. And that was starting with his grandchildren. It had been only partially to protect them. But the bigger picture was for him to mold those two in his own image. And to bring their mother into the fold as well.

He stared down at the two little ones looking up at him. They had such angelic faces. But was there more to it then what he saw? Was he making more of things then there really was? Was he just full of it. That could very well be it.

Ethan tried to read the little ones minds. Most would think because they were just over a day old that there was no cognitive thought. That they functioned on just the basic levels. And for most babies, this was true. But those that were blessed with power, real power like these two were, they had an almost knowledge about them from the second they were born.

And he knew they knew about power, their own power. That was ingrained in most from the beginning. Maybe not that they were magickal, but that they were somehow different. That there was something special about them. And he knew these two little ones would be that way.

And a proud grandfather would be bragging up a storm. But he knew that they would use that power. Probably to contact their parents. And that was all of the good. Except that he was still the only one that could fully protect them. Even Willow as juiced up on the dark magicks was no match for what was out there.

But the two little ones seemed harmless at the moment. They seemed to be calm and mellow. Or was that just deceiving him? Were they just playing possum like some were so good at doing. If only he knew for sure.

Ethan gave up on reading his little ones minds. They were asleep anyways. And he had to prepare. If somehow Willow or Tara were able to get his grandchildren away from him, he would have to have a backup plan to protect them. And he did. It was just a matter of making the small little tweaks to what he had planned.

* * *

Tara snuck around the back of The Magic Box. She knew that Willow was either here or would be shortly. She knew that it would be an interesting meeting. Even though she wasn't with her, they shared that connection. Their hearts still seemed to beat as one. And she could feel the pain that Willow was in. Even if she would not allow her self to feel it.

It scared her to think, but Willow as pretty much shut off from the world now. It was as if she was immune to everything now. That not even she could be the one that brought her back from wherever she had gone. Would her Willow ever be the same? Would they ever be able to get back to where they had been?

Carefully, Tara opened the back door. She knew that her everything knew all sorts of traps. And she knew that even with that knowledge, most likely she couldn't have an answer for everything that Willow threw at her. She was just too good. And definitely high on the dark magicks at the moment.

There was silence inside. Giles wasn't there. He had rushed off to England. Why? Because he said that there was some imperative information that one of his buddies had. The kind that he had to see for himself.

And Anya was still being held prisoner. Xander was beside himself searching all over the place for her. It was actually quite scary. And the concussion that he had suffered didn't help matters either. It was impairing his judgement even further.

She sighed heavily as she felt no presence in The Magic Box. Was it that Willow just wasn't here yet? She knew that it was her little ones that had sent her here. She could feel it in her heart. But why wasn't she here yet? Were they sending her here as well? Was it just a matter of time before she was here as well?

Slowly, Tara made her way into the shop part. It was all still dark so she waved her hand. Instantly, the room was lit. And she took several steps back when she saw Willow sitting at one of the round tables that they had spent so much time at helping to research demons.

It was Willow, but it wasn't her Willow. Gone was the red hair. Gone was the pale soft skin. Gone were those emerald eyes that she could just look into for hours at a time. In their place was hair darker then the night. And there were ugly black veins across her face. And those eyes were like smoldering black coals. Enough to give anyone the chills.

"So, we meet at last." Willow stood up and looked around her. "No one here eh? Too bad. I was hoping to have a little bit of fun before I went and turned that insane vampire into the ashes that she deserves to be. And my father..." The witch stopped moving and she shut her mouth in an instant.

"Father?" Tara was so totally confused. With all that was going on, how had Willow managed to find her real father? Or had he found her? "You know who your father is?"

"It's no concern of yours." Willow's voice nearly boomed at her. "Nice little spell you did. But how's this?" She smiled big as she waved her hand. Not only was the area surrounding the two lit up, but the whole shop was glowing bright. Almost as bright as if it were on fire. "I've learned a few tricks in the short time we've been apart."

Tara shook her head. "I know what you are doing. You are trying to distract me. Sweetie, I know that you are in a great deal of pain. And that Ethan was the one..."

"Silence!" Willow was in front of Tara in an instant. "Don't ever say that man's name in my presence. Ever again. He'll get what's coming to him. I'll make sure of that. But in the meantime, I have to take a look around. What I need to defeat Drusilla is here. I know it."

Tara's mind was racing she was beginning to put two and two together. And it was adding up to Ethan as her children's grandfather. "Ethan did nothing wrong other then take the babies without asking. And maybe that was the only way that he could do what he had to. If we knew, it might have been too easily given away."

Willow raised her hand back. "I told you not to say his name!" There was this thunder throughout The Magic Box. It looked like a lightening storm was going on inside. She held her hand for the longest time, but it dropped to her side. Even in her darkest form, she could not hurt Tara. She could not strike out at her.

"We've got to say it!" Tara stood taller. She now knew what she had always known. That no matter how far gone Willow maybe, she would never raise a hand to hurt her. Not really. And that she was the only one that could even reason with her a little bit. "We've got to talk about it. Time is running out. You think that Ethan having Jenny and Alexander is gonna protect them forever? The only way they'll be truly protected is when they are both in their loving mothers' arms." Tara reached out a hand to stroke Willow's face.

The former redhead pulled back. That soft, gentle touch would be too much for her to handle at the moment. All she wanted was to keep the darkness. It was protecting her from the pain. She wouldn't have to deal with the fact that her babies were gone. And that she was nearly helpless to get them back.

"My arms you mean." Even in her dark state, Willow could not believe she had just uttered those words. Tara was her everything. The reason that she breathed. The reason that she lived. The reason that she had been so happy. And the reason that she had been blessed with the little ones in the first place.

Tara hook her head with a sad look on her face. "I know this isn't you talking. I know it's the darkness inside of you trying to take control. You've got to fight it. You can still beat it. It's not too late."

An evil laughter escaped Willow. "Are you seeing the same picture that I am? That everyone else is? I mean, look at me. I'm evil. Through and through. And if you don't believe that, ask the guy that wouldn't give up his home to me."

Tara sighed. "I am looking at you. That's just an outer package that's not what's on the inside by any means. What's inside is still the good woman that I fell in love with and still want a life with. He's still alive isn't he?"

Willow scowled at that. "So what if he is? I was about to kill him when my children interrupted. They wanted me to come here for some reason. Perhaps they were just trying to tempt me with knowledge. They knew how much I want knowledge."

"You are wrong, Willow." Tara started for her but her everything backed off. "You can try and distance yourself from me. But you know something as well as I do. We are one. We are a part of one another. I beat in your heart. I am in your soul. There is no separating you from me. I'm afraid that you are stuck with me."

"That's what you think." Willow made herself float to the top of the landing. "This is where the answers lay. This is where everything is that I need to know. Giles tried to hide the fact that this is where the dark magicks is kept. But I knew. I always knew. The minute I would walk in, it was like it was calling me. Like it was my destiny. And maybe it is considering."

"Considering what?" Tara eyed her girlfriend. "It is not your destiny. Just because other choose the path of chaos and darkness does not mean that you have to. Not even if that man is your father."

Willow leapt from the landing down to beside Tara. There was a fire in her eyes. One that Tara had seen once. The one time that Willow had lost control and nearly burnt down The Bronze so long ago. Instead of doing anything, Willow sighed. "I should have known that you would have known. Even in this damned form, I can't hide things from you. You know me too well."

"Like I said, we are one. My heart beats the same as yours." Tara swallowed hard. "I'm sorry that Ethan is your father. In the sense that I know that he does have a colorful past. And I'm not sure we can totally trust him. But we have little choice at the moment. We are supposed to do nothing, but yet everything seems to be happening so quickly. I vote we do something."

This brought a smile to Willow's face. Something that she hadn't done since her babies were taken. Something she thought she would never do. It made her feel good to think that Tara was wanting to take the initiative and basically kicked some book. It was nice to see for a change. Of course, Tara was far from that shy girl that stuttered so sweetly. She had changed a great deal since the two had met.

One of the black veins disappeared from Willow's face. "I agree. We need to take the offensive on this one. Like we have had to do in the past. Now, where's G-man? You'd think he would want to be here to help. And Xander."

Tara sighed. "I'm not sure where Xander is. He disappeared after what happened. Neither Giles or I could find him. And Giles is in England. He contacted a buddy of his. Had something that would help us but had to go in person to pick it up. Didn't give much detail."

"Figures." Willow shook her head. "Wonder if he's going back to the old ways of being a watcher. Only sharing what he thinks is important. Knowledge is power. And we need power. Lots of it. Drusilla is no ordinary vampire. And she has Anya."

"I did some research on that." Tara made her way to one of the book shelves. It was feeling almost like Willow was normal. That she hadn't turned to the dark side. But one look at her and you knew. She wasn't as dark as before, but it was still there. "Vengeance demons that have their powers stripped as punishment have a residual power supply. It's something that they always will have. It can get drained and then replenished over time."

Willow took the book that Tara took out and carefully read the same thing that Tara had just explained. "So, since she couldn't get us or the babies, she's using Anya as a power source. A never ending power source. Kinda like a rechargeable battery."

"Exactly." Tara put her hand on Willow's. The former redhead glared at the touch and Tara quickly pulled back. "And from what I understand, a slayer has a great deal of power. It's different from the magickal powers that a witch or demon would have, but it's still quite the source. And now, Drusilla has two slayers."

Willow nodded. "It still doesn't tell us what she's up to. I mean, there are so many things out there that need power. I can think of fifty just off the top of my head. This sounds like something specific. I'm not sure what, but it has to be something big, obviously."

Tara nodded in agreement. That simple glare a second ago had reminded her of just how far Willow was gone. But she also felt in that touch the wanting to be good again. And maybe when they were able to save their children, they could get past this together. That they could both again learn how to control their vast powers.

"Hello ladies!" Both witches turned in a start. There was Spike standing before them and he was all vamped out. "I've been sent to invite you to a little soiree. One that refusal is just not an option my dears."

Both Tara and Willow went for Spike at the same time. But they were thrown back hard. Both hit stacks of books. And both became groggy. It wasn't long till darkness over took them. And Spike took them to the little party that was planned especially in their honor.


	80. 80

AN Thanks for the reviews. Trying to keep things moving a long. I know, sometimes the story gets bogged down. I'll try and make things a bit more exciting. And to my muse, happy birthday my love.

Drusilla had everything where and how she wanted it. Well, she didn't have the babies that were so important. But they were now not the most important part of the plan that she had developed. So many things had changed that she had to make changes just to keep it doable. But Spike being in the fold was the biggest plus. One that she never would have counted on.

She watched as the vampire with a soul dealt out a bit of torture to the two slayers that hung on the wall of the cave. They were not looking the best at them moment. But they still had the power that she so needed. Bringing for the old ones back to the earth was not something that one did very easily.

Power was the key to it. And she had just about enough power now. She had been using so much power from Anya that she had to let her recharge before she did the final stage of the spell. That would be to simultaneously drain the two witches, the slayers, and Anya. If only she had the babies then there would be no doubt in her mind that the spell would be a success.

A great deal of her minions were still out looking for the babies. She knew that Ethan had manage to take them from their mothers. And it was what had caused Willow to turn to the dark side of the magicks. It was delightful to see that she was now on the side of darkness. But she also knew that she wasn't your typical evil being.

No. There wouldn't be destruction and mayhem like there would be with an evil demon. She had a rhyme and a reason to everything that she did. And her reason for existing at the moment was the fact that her babies were in danger and in the clutches of Ethan. That was one that she had never seen coming.

And she had been very good at sensing the future. Even before Angel had turned her into a vampire, those visions of the future had driven her nearly insane. Nearly? She had to admit that she was quite insane at times. And Angel posing as a priest and telling her that she would be damned forever because of these hellish visions hadn't helped much.

That would be her first thing on her list of revenge. She knew that when the old ones would come that she would no longer be the one in power. But because she had been the one to return them to the place that they had ruled over for so long, they would be eternally grateful. And she would take full revenge on Angel for all that he had put her through. Though becoming a vampire had set her free.

Sighing heavily, she knew that she must stay focused on the now. What was going to happen in the near future might be tantalizing, but it wasn't what was happening now. And this was now the critical moment of what was to come. She nearly was drooling at the thought of the carnage that was soon to be unleashed upon the earth.

Spike was still doing his thing. The two witches were being kept well sedated so that they could not use their powers against her. They would be kept like that till it was time. And time was so near. If only.

Drusilla shook her head. One could not think about the ifs in life. One had to deal with the present and how that would affect the future. A future that was now in question for all the humans that were on earth.

"We've found them!" A rather vile looking vampire came towards Drusilla. He instantly bowed down to her. "The babies. We know where they are. But Ethan has quite the protection spell. But we will keep trying. I just wanted you to know."

"Go! Keep at it then." Drusilla began to sway back and forth. Could it be? Could she actually be getting the one thing that she had always wanted?

* * *

Spike kept looking at Drusilla. She had to be buying it. She just had to be. If she discovered that he was still the good man that he had fought so hard to become, then she would tie him to the nearest rooftop and let the rays of the sun do the torture thing for her. It wouldn't be the most pleasant ways for a vampire to go.

So he poked and he prodded at the two slayers. He kept the vampire face and kept that evil laughter that his evil alter ego had become so good at. But inside, even though he knew it was for good, it was driving him insane even causing the two slayers any pain. Especially Buffy. Even though there was no doubt that this Buffy was different, she was still her and he loved her with his entire soul and always would.

Finally, when Drusilla was distracted by whatever the minion had said, her turned back to the slayers his vampire features gone. "Hey there you two."

"Eat dust and die." Buffy glared at him. He had ungagged her and she was still trying to figure out why. She could now scream her head off and get Drusilla's attention. Or perhaps Willow and Tara. "Or better yet, just go play in the sun."

"Look, I'll keep this brief." Spike glanced back at Drusilla who was now doing some kind of insane dance. "I was just trying to get in good with the insane one over there. Look here. I still do have a soul. And the bloody chip in my head. So, I'm a good vampire and can be trusted."

"Yeah right." Faith glared at Spike. "Then why have you been doing all the pokey proddy and stuff without you chip going off? Some of that hurt like a mother I'll have you know. And I've felt a lot of pain since I've become a slayer."

"Because I didn't intend to really harm you." Spike sighed heavily. "If I'd really wanted to hurt you, I would have been screaming in pain. Dru somehow has forgotten that I hope. Look here." The vampire took the time to undo the restraints that held them fast. "Keep up like you are still chained to the wall. When I say the word, you'll need to act fast."

Buffy rubbed her wrists before putting them back up to make it look as if she was still chained to the wall. "All right. I still don't trust you as far as Giles could throw you though. I'm gonna keep my eye on you."

"Wonderful." Spike sighed again. "You do that. You bloody well do that. You'll be surprised I'm sure to see that I'm a changed vampire. That I really do rely on my soul. I wasn't the greatest of people before I became a vampire contrary to popular belief. But I have changed. Even a vampire can change."

"Whatever." Buffy turned her head away. "Just keep an eye out."

Faith looked over at this Buffy. There was still so much anger inside of her. And she knew what that kind of anger could lead to. It had lead her to doing some pretty stupid things. Even trying to kill the ones that had just been there to help her. When they got out of this she would sit down and have a nice chat with the slayer.

Faith then eyed Spike. She knew that people could change. Even demons without souls could change. She was a prime example of that. Granted, she was never totally evil. She had killed the deputy major by accident. And to this day she regretted taking that man's life. It had been the hardest thing to do. Killing those vampires and demons for the mayor was no big. Though she did regret killing the one that had just been trying to make a profit.

Change. Yeah. People could change. If they really wanted to. And if they had a big enough reason. Her reason had been because of all her friends and how much they cared. She hadn't even realized that she had friends and that hey had cared so much. And she knew why Spike had changed. For the love of a slayer.

* * *

Willow could feel her mind drifting. She knew that she wasn't awake. The drugs were flowing throughout her entire body. Ever since she had allowed the dark magicks to take hold, she was even more aware of her body and the little things that went on inside and outside of it. She was aware of everything.

She was aware that Tara was hanging beside her. That she too was being kept in this constant sleeping condition. And she knew that the slayers were being well guarded by Spike. That much she could sense. But there wasn't much else that she could sense anymore. Everything was within herself.

And what was going on inside of herself was something that she didn't care for if she were truthful with herself. For there was a time when she had prided herself on control. The ability to look at the dark side and to be able to refuse the ever so strong pull that it always had. Would always have over people.

She could best relate it to someone that had taken drugs. There was this pull. There would always be this pull to want to do the drugs. To feel that good. Even if there was that down side afterwards. That one felt like they were going to die. It didn't matter. The good outweighed the bad. And it was the same for her.

The good was the unfeeling state that she was in. She really didn't care about anything. She felt numb. Even her feelings for Tara were not there. She knew deep down that she loved her with all her heart and soul. But she couldn't feel it. And the babies at the moment were more like property to her. Again, she knew that she loved them and would once have done anything for them but now, there was nothing but greed. The need to have all that belonged to her.

A picture of Tara flashed in her mind. If she had a need to have all that belonged to her wouldn't that also include Tara? For long ago they had pledged themselves to one another. That they had become one. That their hearts beat as one. So wouldn't she along with wanting her babies also want Tara?

That brought a smile to the face of the sleeping witch. She hadn't really realized it until that point but truly she had been alone. And alone was something she hated. She had felt alone for all those years. Even with Xander as her best friend, Buffy as a good friend, and later Oz by her side, it just wasn't the same thing.

She had never felt that she had belonged or that she was truly needed. Yeah, her computer skills had come in handy more then once. And her slowly growing magickal abilities also had saved the day more then one time. But was there really a use for the young redhead?

Not till Tara had come along. Even the evil persona that she had become had to realize and admit that. That without Tara, she was nothing. That the two were just a package deal. That they needed one another more then anything else in the world. And they had their two little ones to look after as well.

With this realization, Willow could feel the dark powers draining from her. Just realizing that she needed Tara was the big difference. That would always be the difference. But she also thought of something else. Ethan. And how he had stolen her babies. And she knew that before she returned to good, he would have to pay.

And pay he would. In the most agonizing way that she could come up with. He maybe her father, but that didn't give him the right to do what he did. Not without letting them know first. He could have easily endangered her babies. And therefore, he endangered himself.

* * *

Tara let her mind go free. She needed to keep it clear for what was to come. She knew that there would be a big battle ahead. The moment that she suggested that they take the fight to Drusilla, she knew that there would be big consequences. She only hoped that her children would be all right. They were what concerned her.

That and the fact that the one that she loved more then anything was going through something she never thought she would. She had always been the stronger power wise of the two. And she herself had been the one with the knowledge and the control. And they had shared both their powers and control.

Now, she was shutoff for the most part. The only thing she could truly sense from the woman that she loved hanging next to her was conflict. A great deal of conflict. It appeared that there was quite a pull from the dark side. But there also seemed to be the reminders. Reminders of their life and how good it had only a short time ago been.

The blond knew that things weren't that easy. Some would say fight it. To just let yourself be strong and fight it with everything that you had. But she herself knew that wasn't that easy. She had once been tempted to turn to those dark forces herself.

It was a time when her father had not only mentally abused her, but also physically abused her as well. It was just after her mother had died and there wasn't anyone left to stand up for her. Donny was just as bad. And all the rest of her family had long ago turned their backs on her. And of course, there were the tales that she would some day become an evil demon.

It had all lead her to wonder. What if. What if she just let herself go. What if she gave into those forces that seemed to be so easy to pull you in. What if she just did what everyone else seemed to do. The easy thing.

But no. That was not her way. And she knew that her mother would have been so disappointed in her if she had let go. That was the thing about Willow letting go. Why hadn't her love and the babies been enough to keep her from losing that control? Shouldn't that had been enough to keep her from that dark side.

Or maybe Tara didn't know what Willow was going through. Maybe there was more to it then what seemed to be. Maybe Willow was still struggling. After all, she had spared the man's life. And she had calmed a bit in trying to extract revenge from Ethan. Or was that a cover?

Once, she knew exactly what Willow was thinking, saying, doing. But now, she had no clue. Not really. It was as if Willow had hidden the real her from the world. And this new person was there to keep them from finding the good one inside. It was like the old person was being held hostage and she somehow would have to find the right ransom to set her free.

And she would do that. She would never give up on Willow. Even if the woman she loved went as far as to harm or even kill someone, she would not give up on her. For one reason and one reason only. She knew that Willow was only in partial control at the moment. And she would help her find that control again.

A thought shimmered into her hazy mind. How far would Willow go in getting revenge? Would she really try and kill Ethan? Would Tara be able to stop her? These were chilling thoughts indeed. For as much as she loved Willow and would always have faith in her, it would be nearly impossible to bring her back from such an act.

And that's when she felt it. There wasn't conflict within Willow anymore. There was pure hatred. And she knew who it was directed at. And she knew that the woman she loved would act on those feelings of pure hatred. All Tara could do was say a prayer that the Goddess Hecatae would watch over the woman that she loved. And help her to fight those feelings. If not, heaven help Ethan Rayne.


	81. 81

AN Longtime no see. Sorry. Just been busy and the usual sorry excuses. Hope this makes up for the wait. And hate to do it, but don't forget I have that book out. Thanks to all those that bought it. Hope it was worthy of your time. And to my muse, love you always.

Ethan could feel the hatred. It was unmistakable. And he knew it was coming from his daughter. That was even more scarey then anything. For he knew how far the dark side could take you. He was a living example of that one. Not to long ago, he would have reveled in his daughter finding this side of her. But now...

His thoughts were interrupted. He had banished the last wave of vampires long ago. And he knew that they needed time to regroup. So, he wasn't sure what was coming and what to expect. The door flying in on him and nearly taking his head off was certainly not it.

"Can I help you?" Ethan strained to see through the smoke and clouds that had resulted from whoever breaking down his door. "Who's there?" Behind him, he could hear the screams of the little ones.

Ethan's face fell as the last person on earth he thought he would ever see was standing before him. And there was such a smile on the other person's face that the sorcerer was instantly ill. This was not going to be a very pleasant showdown.

"Ethan, I've come for the babies." Giles made his way through what once had been the door of Ethan's shop. "So predictable that you would hide out here." Xander and a young redhead woman made their way behind the former librarian. "Now let me have them."

Ethan held up his hands in a mock surrender. "Sure Ripper. I've just held off waves of vampires. I'm going to just let you waltz in here and take my grandchildren." His eyes turned a black that was darker then a moonless, starless night. His hands were instantly up and he sent some kind of energy wave at the three.

The young redhead held her hands up and the wave of energy bounced off the walls. It had lost all power when she had deflected it. She stood there smiling big as Ethan's eyes opened wider. She stood tall and proud. "I have a bit of power Gov. You might want to watch what tricks you try with me. I'm not as innocent as I look."

The sorcerer shook his head as he was able to take in the power that was coming from the mysterious woman. "What's this Ripper? You've gone and got a beautiful young lady to fight your battles? Oh wait, you're famous for that. After all, you've been telling that slayer of yours what to do for years. And my daughter."

"Ethan." Giles took several dangerous steps toward his former friend and now enemy. "There is a time and a place for all this. I understand that in your mind you are only protecting your grandchildren. But I've done some research. And this is far from how we are going to be able to save the world."

"Do you honestly think I care about the world?" Ethan laughed his laugh. "Really, Ripper. I thought you knew me better then that. After all, I'm the one that worships chaos. I'm the one that would like to see things go a little differently then the norm. why should I care bout the world?"

"Good point." Giles looked over Ethan's shoulders to the still crying little ones. "Except for the fact that if the world ends, it ends for your grandchildren as well. Now, protecting them just to let the world end doesn't make much sense. But then, you never have."

Ethan turned and made his way quickly to his grandchildren. He could see in those young innocent eyes the fear that he never wanted them to know. He knew in the world that he knew that that was an impossibility. But he still didn't want them to have know a world that he had known. Though with a sane Willow and Tara as their parents, he knew that they would know nothing but love. Something he had never known.

Ethan turned back towards the three that had made their way into what he had thought was a safe haven. And he knew that he wasn't the one to protect them. That the only ones that could protect them was this apparent new which. And of course, their parents. Sighing heavily, he said, "Take them. But take me along. Perhaps I can be of assistance."

Giles was about to say no. But he realized that Ethan would do anything for those two laying so still and quiet now. It was as if they realized that there was power there now. And there was a source of protection there. And, after all, Ethan could easily be expendable.

"Very well." Giles nodded and both the redhead and Xander went to the babies and took them in their arms. "You might not like the plan though."

Ethan shrugged. "Let's say that I never really did. What have you got up your sleeve old man? You've got that look."

Giles only smiled at him. His plan was his. He hadn't even shared all the details with Xander and his friend from England. Was that dangerous? Perhaps. But they might not go along with all that he had planned. But it was all for the good of everyone. Some sacrifices just had to be made, didn't they?

* * *

There seemed to be a calm over the entire cave. It was as if everyone at once knew that it was time. Time for what could ultimately be the end of everyone. Yet there was also an echo. An echo that seemed to come from everywhere and anywhere at the same time. There was a strain in the air. And there was a reason for that.

Willow opened her eyes and looked around her. She had found a way to get rid of whatever it was that Drusilla had been feeding her to keep her in the haze. It was not enough. It would never be enough. For soon she would be free and she would soon have the revenge that she so desired.

Tara was still asleep beside her. Behind those closed lids were those magnificent blue jewels that she called eyes. But they were so much more as well. They were like these magic orbs that could see more then the ordinary person. Those same orbs had been used to look into her very soul. Something no one had ever done before.

The redhead shook her head to focus once again. The thing that had made her awaken wasn't all her will for revenge. No. Part of it was the strain in the air. But it was more then that. It was like something was trying to pierce through the dimensions. Something was trying to get to her. And she wasn't liking that idea one bit.

The look on Drusilla's face told her that it wasn't any good. She needed to know what was going on so that she could be prepared. Yes, a good witch was prepared for anything. But an informed witch was better prepared to deal with what was ahead of her. And battling for ones life and revenge, well, that made the need that much greater.

Willow closed her eyes and concentrated. She need to pierce the shield, the armorthat was around her mind to protect it from being probed. But the witch knew how to get around that. If only she was strong enough. She would be. She had to be.

Tara stirred beside her making her lose her concentration. Her lover must have been able to push through all that was keeping her in that state of sleep. Or was it that Drusilla now needed them both conscious. Either way, it meant that now the two could be as one. Like they had been since the day that they had met.

Tara's blue eyes met those darkened green ones. It took all she had not to shudder at the cold feeling that she got when she looked into them. The soul was still there, it was just being held captive by something that she could not even fathom let alone try to stop. It was not something she liked in the least.

The redhead smiled and nodded her head. Though the bond they shared was strained by the fact that Willow was no longer in control, Tara knew exactly what her everything had in mind. And that was a scary thought. But no scarier then doing nothing and the world coming to an abrupt ending.

The two began reaching for one another. The strain against the chains that bound them to the wall caused each a great deal of pain. But they needed to reach out for one another. They needed to be there for one another. They needed to touch one another. They needed to reconnect, if only for a moment.

Their fingertips brushed against one another. Barely touching, and yet an electrical current was sent through each. It hit them in their core. It made them feel all those feelings that they had always felt. It made them remember. It made Willow remember. And for a second, there was a break. Something that she hadn't expected. The darkness drained from Willow.

That old familiar smile that was so loving and caring flashed onto the redhead's face. And it wasn't just some fake thing planted there. No. It was the real deal. Tara's heart seemed to jump in her chest as she saw the look. The look that had first made her fall so deeply in love with her everything. It was all too much to ask for.

Their fingers lost that bit of touch that they had struggled so hard to find. And Tara held her breath. She knew that Willow would probably return. That the darkness would come and overtake her. That it was stronger then the two of them put together.

And her fears grew as Willow closed her eyes. It seemed as if she was struggling with a choice. As if there was a pull. And that whatever struggle she was going through, the redhead was failing. And failing miserably. There were tinges of dark in her hair. And Tara knew what was coming. And a tear slowly fell down her cheek.

She couldn't bear to watch that transformation. It was like watching your lover die in your arms. And she had sworn the first moment that Willow had turned to the dark side that she would not let her go again. And if she did, she would not be able to watch it.

That's when she felt that tingling sensation again. Quickly, she opened her eyes to see something she hadn't seen in the longest of times. It was her girl smiling at her with genuine love. With more passion then she had seen in a long time. Was she dreaming? Was Willow really back? Was she her girl once more?

Shock fell over Tara as the chains that had held both she and Willow to the cave wall simply dropped down to the ground. And they did it without as much as a sound. With her hand now free, she grasped Willow's tightly in hers. And she felt it. She felt the good that was flowing all the way through her. It was the greatest feeling since helping to bring those two innocent ones into this world.

Willow leaned in for a quick, but passionate kiss. One that told Tara everything that she needed to know. The two quickly made like they were still being held captive. But this time, they made it so that they could easily touch. And touch they did.

Holding hands tightly, Willow managed to take her gaze off from Tara. For her little ones were depending on her along with the whole world. No pressure there. She made her eyes shut so that anyone looking at her would think that her eyes were still closed. Yet, they were open and they were looking at one vampire. In fact, they were burning holes in her.

With Tara's strength, she managed to sneak through the shields that were surrounding Drusilla's mind. And an interesting journey was started. She saw a past that the vampire would rather keep hidden. She saw the feelings that she still had for Spike. And she saw the revenge that she wanted against Angel.

But more importantly, she saw what was to come. Or what she hoped that Drusilla only hoped would come true. She knew that at times the crazy vampire could she the future. And this was not a future that she wanted. The earth overrun by pure demons. None that had ever been tainted by man.

But there was more. It was a future that went beyond what Drusilla had in mind. It was a future that could be. If the scoobies were able to defeat Drusilla, there would be another that would come along. One that would cause them to do things that no one in the past would have thought to do.

She could see lots of girls. All around Buffy's age. Some even younger. And she knew. They were potentials. Those that would one day be called upon when either Buffy or Faith ended their run as slayer. And she saw her doing something. A spell more powerful then anything she had ever seen or come across.

Willow shook her head to clear it. Had Drusilla seen this other future? Or was it one that she had conjured up herself? Was there truth to it? Or was it something that was there just to confuse her about what was going on right then and now.

Tara looked at Willow, clearly the same questions on the blond's mind as well. What did the future hold for them? Would there be more tests for them? Would Buffy or Faith die? And what was to become of them?

Those were questions for another time. Now, it was time to stop Drusilla. Unleashing those demons upon the world wouldn't destroy the earth right away. But the existence of man would be short lived once the old ones were upon the earth. That was something that the master had tried to do as well. They had stopped it once. They would stop it again.

Drusilla suddenly appeared in front of the two witches. She eyed them carefully. "You two have been quite naughty. You two got out of your cages. Now I'm going to have to punish you."

Willow smiled big. "You won't punish us. For what you want, you need us. More then you need Buffy and Faith. More then you need Anya. The only thing you need more then us are our babies. And you won't be having them."

"Oh, but I will." Drusilla snapped her fingers. Two of her minions quickly chained Willow and Tara back up. "You see, I've already got them. See, it was a little birdie that told me how to go about getting your powerful lil ones. And he was once a friend of yours."

Both Willow and Tara turned in horror as Giles walked into the cave as if he owned it. He held one little one in each arm. He had a dark look about him. It was not something that either of the young women had seen. Willow had heard the tales of his time as Ripper. But he was a good man, wasn't he?

Slowly and deliberately, Giles made his way over to Drusilla. His eyes were cold as he looked at first Tara, then Willow. "I've held up my part of the bargain. It's time that you held up your part."

Drusilla clapped her hands. Several of her minions surrounded them. One of them brought something to Giles. He nodded and the creature put it in front of him. "There's the book of transformation that you sought. Now, give me the little ones like you promised."

Giles smiled big as he held out the two babies. Both started screaming. And Willow and Tara screamed inside. They couldn't call out. They were being restrained. Their tongues silenced. All they could do is watch in horror as Giles held out their babies and Drusilla reached for them.


	82. 82

AN Nice cliffhanger eh? Well, glad that my muse got me inspired so I could update sooner then I have been. Here's the latest installment. Hope you enjoy. And always, love to my muse.

All hell was breaking loose. Buffy and Faith took off from where they had been pretending to be held captive, Spike right behind them. Xander and the redhead made their way to unchain Anya. Drusilla nearly had the babies in their grasp as Willow and Tara still hung by the chains that were now magickally holding them captive.

Willow watched as Giles kept that cold look on his face. And she watched as those cold hands of the insane vampire touched her babies. And she felt it. She felt the darkness that she had just been able to fight coming back. It was flooding back so quickly. And even with the strength that Tara was providing, she could feel it overtaking her.

Giles turned and waved his hands. He had borrowed some magick from Althenea, the redhead that had accompanied him back from England. He had said it was part of the plan, that he would need some borrowed magicks to defeat Drusilla. But he hadn't told the whole truth. For all would happen the way it was supposed to.

With that wave, the two slayers and the vampire with a soul were knocked to the ground. "Dammit Giles!" Buffy struggled to get up as did her to comrades. "You are supposed to be good. You are supposed to be helping us, not helping evil!"

The watcher shrugged his shoulders. "We all do what we have to in the battle between good and evil. We make sacrifices. And some sacrifices some can not handle making. Therefore, those that can make them."

Buffy shook her head. "You aren't making sense. You sound like you are doing this for the good of things. But it doesn't look like that. And it certainly doesn't feel like that. Just tell me what this is all about." The slayer continued to struggle but to no avail.

"He's off his bloody rocker." Spike glared at the former librarian. "At least when I went all mental, I had a plan. I was doin it for good. What the hell are you doin this for? Your own selfish gains?"

Giles turned his back on them just in time to dodge a little lightening bolt from Althenea. "Oh no you don't young lady." Again, the watcher held out his hands. This time the redhead was not prepared and she and Xander and Anya were all sent with a resounding thud into the cave wall and into darkness.

Tara watched this all in horror. And more in horror was the fact that she knew that Willow was once again losing the struggle between good and bad once again. She could feel the darkness surging throughout her girlfriend. She tried touching her, but there wasn't anything. No spark, no nothing. It was as if she had now totally given into the darkness.

Willow pushed her hand away. There was no time for touchy feely. This was the time for action. This was the time to get things done. And done she would. She wouldn't let anyone off this time. Her days of being lenient were far in the past. They would now find out just how cruel she could be.

Drusilla held the babies in her hands. She could feel the power simply surging throughout herself. She didn't even realize that all of her minions were gone. One little thought by Willow and it had left the insane vampire to fight all on her own. And she was not even slightly in the leagues with what was coming.

As the vampire began reciting the ritual, she laid the babies down on an altar. She began anointing them with a red substance, blood. A few more words and the cave began to shake. The barrier between dimensions was quickly weakening. It wouldn't be long until it was gone entirely. And the old ones would be back on earth as they belonged.

Drusilla laughed as she pulled out the blessed knife. The one that would finally do what others, including The Master had tried so many times and failed. She would finally be the one that would bring them back. And form a new earth, one that was literally hell. Well, for the humans that would remain.

The knife hovered over little Alexander. There were shouts coming from the two little ones. They knew that there was danger. And yet, they were defenseless at a mere week old. So much had happened to the little ones. And in such a short time. If they survived, there would always be something to deal with.

"Stop." Drusilla turned to see a dark haired version of the little witch everyone called Willow. The one that had been the sweet innocent geek. One that wouldn't have hurt a fly when she had met Buffy. But then, things changed. And they didn't always change for the better.

"You gonna make me?" Drusilla held the knife to Alexander's throat. "You do something to me, you likely kill your little ones. So what's it gonna be deary? You gonna try something and risk their innocent little lives, or, are you gonna give in to that evil that runs in you. I know that it's telling you to forget the world. Just worry bout your little ones."

Willow's lips curled into a wicked smile. "You'd think that. But you know what? I'm a smart evil person. No offense, but all the evil that I've fought were stupid in one way or another. I however am not like that. I take all thinks into consideration. And the fact that if I let you succeed, even without my little ones, it would destroy the world. And tell me, for even an evil human, what good is that."

Drusilla didn't bother with anymore words. Instead, she plunged the knife across Alexander's neck. But instead of cutting deeply and finding that intoxicating blood that she knew held so much power, she felt pain. More pain then she had felt in a long time. She looked down in horror as she realized that the knife had been turned around in her hand. And there was blood. It was her own from one of her fingers having been sliced off.

"You witch!" Drusilla took the knife into her other hand and started for Willow who's smile had grown even bigger and had a leer to it that scared even the vampire. She began quickly backing away from her, but it was no use.

"You can't run." Willow suddenly appeared behind Drusilla. "You can't hide." As the vampire was turning to look behind herself, the redheaded witch appeared in front of her. "There's no where you can go. All you can do is feel my wrath." A chuckled came out of the now evil witch as she held up her hands.

"Dear God!" Drusilla began smoking. Screaming was all that was left for Drusilla to do as she burst into flames. There was no getting out of it as Willow slowly and meticulously let the vampire burn. It wasn't an ordinary burning. It was a magickal burning that let Willow control the heat so that it was so slow and that much more painful. And the screams were unbelievable.

Tara slowly came up behind Willow. Without losing her concentration, the redhead turned to face her lover. "What? You think that this is too cruel even for the bitch that nearly killed our children? What!"

The blond witch sadly shook her head. "It's not that you are killing her. She is evil and for all the things that she has done, she deserves to die. But even you should realize that this prolonged type of agony benefits no one."

Willow smile faded a bit. "Benefits no one? I'd have to disagree with that. By me destroying the one that tried to destroy our little ones in such a cruel manner, they will forever know how much I love them and how much I would do for them. Will always do for them."

"They will know that." Tara reached out and touched her girl. But again, there was still nothing. As if Willow had died and left this empty shell behind her. No feelings no emotions with the exception of hatred and revenge. "If you are who you used to be. They will know that you love them and will always be there for them."

"Too late." With a snap of her fingers, the screams came to an end as Drusilla faded into the dust that she had been created from. "It's too late for me now. I had a chance of being saved as you and the others would like to call it. But not now." She looked over at Giles who was keeping the two slayers and the vampire with a soul busy for her. "And now, for my ultimate revenge."

The instant that Giles heard the screaming stop, he let Buffy, Faith, and Spike get to their feet. "It had to be this way." He slowly made his way toward the three. "If I hadn't reawakened the darkside of Willow and forced her to use it, we never would have been able to defeat Drusilla. Not even with the help of Althenea."

Buffy brushed off the back of her pants and shook her head. "You could have given us a heads up you know. Still could have made it look good if we'd known." She looked at the three still unconscious. "What about Xander, Anya and I assume Althenea? Did you have to knock those three out?"

"I had to." Giles felt the blast before he could react. He groaned as he looked up into those dark eyes. "Willow." The name was weak on his lips. The blast of power from the witch had taken everything out of him. All the power that he had borrowed from Althenea.

"G-man." The darkness of her eyes startled him. As did the veins and black hair. It was different then the last time he'd seen her evil. This was like a total transformation into evil. It would be nearly impossible to bring her back now. "You were a naughty boy, I must say. Never would have thought you'd bargain with the devil." A smile curled on her lips. "Now you have to deal with the devil."

"Wait." But Willow was already picking him up and floating him in the air. An unseen force began to choke the very life out of the man that had been like a father to her. He had been more of a father then the one that she had known as her father all these years. And here she was, stealing the very breath out of him.

"Willow!" Buffy tried to kick the witch, but was thrown to the ground. "Wait! He wasn't going to let your babies get hurt. It was all part of the plan. He knew you needed to be like this to defeat Drusilla. Now you have to fight it."

"But why?" For a moment, she lost interest in choking Giles. She kept him suspended in midair but let him breath. "He unleashed a power like none I've ever felt. I never would have been able to reach my full potential if it weren't for him. But you see, he did it at the possible expense of my babies. And no one messes with them and gets away with it."

"Willow!" The redhead turned at the sound of Tara's voice. There was a sadness that she had never seen before. And even in this cold and hardened state, she felt the disappointment to her very core. "Let him go."

"Why?" It was such a simple statement. But it spoke volumes to the person that she had now become. Or was she still a person at all? Was she beyond humans and what they stood for? Would she ever be able to relate like she once had. And remember what it was like to actually care for people? To care about anything?

"He was just trying to save Alexander and Jenny." Tara took a cautious step towards her girl. "He was trying to save the world. He was trying to save us all. He had to get you back to where you feel nothing. But feel this." She held out her hands and a burst of red light swarmed all over Willow.

"What the..." Willow was knocked to the ground, Giles falling at the same time. Faith and Spike had him in an instant and carried him over to where Xander, Anya and Althenea still were unconscious. Buffy stood close by but knew that this was one fight that she could not handle. It was up to Tara.

"Feel." It was a simple word from Tara. All the emotions that she had, love, worry, fear, joy, happiness, everything was transferred over to Willow in the little burst. She had to make her feel again. Feel the things that had once been so important to her. She just had to break down the wall of nothingness inside her girl.

"No!" Willow writhed on the ground as the feelings overtook her. "I don't want to feel. I don't ever want to feel again. It leads to pain. And I don't want to ever have to deal with that again. There's been too much loss in the world. And I don't want to have to ever feel that again. No! I refuse."

Tara sent another jolt into her. "You have to. Every human being has to feel. You aren't some demon. You aren't some evil creation. You are still a human being dealing with strong emotions. So deal like a human should. Deal with the fact that you love me and you love the children. And that you would nearly die if anything would happen to us."

Willow suddenly stood up. There was still conflict on her face as she looked at Tara. The one person in the whole world that knew that her better then she knew herself. She should listen. She should believe her. She should do what was right. She should fight so that she could live like a human being again. She should...

"Ahhhh!" Willow flew up into the air. There were just too many conflicting things going on inside her. "Too much! Too much damn it!" She hovered there for a few minutes, watching as Buffy and Tara watched her. She also saw Faith get the little ones. And then, Ethan entered the cave.

"Dear Lord." Ethan made his way toward Faith who was holding his grandchildren tightly in his hands. "Are they all right? Is everyone all right?" He got the chance to look at those innocent beautiful ones. And he felt like his life had not been a complete and total failure. He'd helped to bring such wonderful beings into the world. He couldn't have been all bad.

"You." Willow quickly came back down to the ground. "You are the reason." She sent a lightening bolt toward him but quickly stopped it. Even she wasn't too far gone to know that it could hurt her little ones. "You deserve what I have to give you." With her mind, she picked him up and sent him straight up to the cave ceiling.

There were a lot of loose stones and dust that fell from where Ethan impacted. Blood already was flowing from his nose as she let him free fall from high up to the ground. There was quite the thud as he hit. Ethan managed to roll over, despite the severe pain he was now in. His eyes were glazed a bit but he still could see her towering over him.

"No mercy." Willow began blasting him with one lightening bolt after another. They just kept coming, so quickly that they looked like one long bolt. Over and over and over and over. It was as if she was never going to let him not feel pain.

"Willow!" Tara landed a bolt of her own, sending her lover sprawling. It was only enough to stun her. Quickly, the redhead got up and smiled. Without a word, she disappeared into thin air. Tara made her way over to Ethan. His eyes were still open. But there was no life in them. Tears fell down her face as she knew. Willow, the Willow that she had loved all her life was gone. And there was no bringing her back now.


	83. 83

AN Sorry bout the delay. Hope you like the latest installment. Thanks for the reviews. And to my muse, love you always.

Willow looked around her. She was alone. Totally alone for the first time in her life. Her parents had never been there for her leaving her basically to herself. But she had always had Xander in her life. That was a constant. That Xander would be there no matter what happened. They were the best of friends.

But did that matter? Did it matter that you had someone in your life? Or was it better to be all alone and cut yourself off from the world. So that you would not have to feel. So that you would not have to deal with people. So that you could live life on your own terms. Wasn't that the best way to live.

Sitting on the desk that she had conjured for herself were two pictures. One was of her little ones. It was taken from memories that she had of them. And she knew that they were now almost a month old and had changed quite a bit. Not that she could see them. Not that she could feel their soft skin.

The other picture was of Tara. The one person that had stood by her no matter what. The one person that she loved still more then anything in the world. Even in her unfeeling state, somehow that love seemed to flow through. As hard as she tried to block it, it still came flooding in. And she resented that.

The dark witch made her way to the window. Night had fallen. Just as she now liked it. She used to be afraid of the dark. Be afraid of the things that lurked in the dark. Demons, vampires, evil humans. There were so many things that lurked in the night. But now, she was what people should be afraid of. She was the thing that went bump in the night.

She had a plan now. And she wasn't an ordinary evil person, like she had told Drusilla. She was smart. Her plan took a lot into consideration. Like other evil things trying to stop her. Or all the things that magickally could go wrong. And of course, the interference of Buffy and the rest of the scoobies.

The one that had her thinking the most, was not Althena. It wasn't even Tara for some reason. Though she knew that their connection was greater then anyone else's. For some reason, it was Xander that had her thinking. A man that had no real power but to gather donuts for the rest was the one that had her worried.

Why was that? She couldn't explain it. But she knew if she was thinking it, then she must prepare herself. But for what? That was the question. For again, he was just a mere human being with no special powers. He was a geek to the core. Though he didn't always show that side of himself. But it was there, even when dating Cordelia. Or now dating Anya.

Willow opened the window and let the coolness rush over her. As always, it helped her to think. It helped to clear her mind of all the conflicting thoughts. It helped her focus on her plan. And her plan was to get her babies back. They belonged by her side, not Tara. Tara was still good. And she wanted her little ones raised like she was now.

But how? She knew that Tara would protect them with her very life. Even if that meant keeping them away from her for the rest of her life. And she knew that Buffy and the others would not allow her near them either. They still had that feeling of good. That they would uphold that with whatever they had.

But it wouldn't be enough. Nothing was as strong or powerful as she was now. And just by looking at someone, she had found that she could easily drain them. She could replenish her own strength. And it didn't matter if it was good or if it was evil power. She would infuse it into her own and she would use it her way. Never mind that it usually cost the person their lives.

Willow sighed heavily as she tried to think of a way to get her babies back. Little Jenny and Alexander were growing up without her. Something she didn't want. They were so young and innocent. It was going to take a lot to corrupt them the way that she had been corrupted. But she was always up to a challenge.

Her mind again became conflicted. Thoughts of times alone with Tara flooded her mind. Like the very first time they met. She knew that they were meant to meet. That something had been guiding both of them there. It was always meant to be the two of them finding one another.

And there was the time of the picnic. The one that she had given her the ring. That look on Tara's face when she had seen it. And then putting it on her finger. It was amazing it was the most amazing night of her life. Until her babies were born. Nothing would ever beat that.

And she remembered how nervous both had been that first night. When they had made love for the first time. It was sweet the way that they had been with one another. Taking things so slow. Making sure that the other was ready. It was a night full of passion and the ultimate connection for two people.

Willow slammed the window shut, shattering the glass. She couldn't and wouldn't have thoughts like these. They only weakened her. And she knew that she had to be at her strongest if she was to be able to fight Tara and the rest.

This knew girl Althnea intrigued her. She felt a power akin to her own flowing through her. If she could either turn her toward the darkness or if she could better yet drain all of that power for her own, she would nearly be unstoppable.

That was it! Willow's smile grew big as things started to come together in her mind. A plan formed that would make Giles, if it had been used for good, proud. She had thought of everything. And she would make this plan succeed. And if she did, she would have her babies by her side as they should be.

The dark witch waved her hand in front of the window making it so that it had never been broken. She looked out into the darkness and felt a calm that she hadn't felt in a long time. For so long now she had been running on nothing but hatred and revenge. And that was what still fueled her thirst for power.

But now, she had a plan. Something to keep her busy. And it would lead to her ultimate goal. Which was to one day rule the earth the way that she wanted it ruled. It may seem cliche for a villain to want to rule the earth, but it made sense for her. She could control all the demons, vampires, and all the powerful humans in the world.

Then, she could do what she pleased. Her one hope was that Tara would see it her way. That she would have someone that would rule by her side. That was the most amazing feeling knowing that she would not be alone for the rest of her life. For a fear of being alone, even in her darkened state, was still her biggest fear ever.

Willow stopped as she realized something. That fear of being alone could be her down fall. That if she allowed it, it would be the reason that anyone of the scoobies were to take her down. She must fight that fear with everything she had. Or perhaps she would be the one that was defeated.

No. She would not allow that. Failure just wasn't an option. She would hurt, maim, or kill anyone that got in her way. She would have what she wanted at any cost. And that included killing Tara or any of the scoobies. She would do anything to have her way. Anything.

* * *

So many things were rushing around in Tara's mind as she tried to calm her little ones down. They had cried nearly the whole time since Willow turned all evil again. They knew that something wasn't right. And the fact that their mother was not around had to be hard on the little ones. It was hard on her.

She had just come from a scooby meeting where all of them had offered to help with Alexander and Jenny. But she wanted to be alone and to do things her way. It wasn't that they couldn't help or that they would be in the way. It was just better that if Willow showed up, that it be just her and the little ones.

The things that ran through her mind scared her. There was talk at the meeting of taking Willow out. And not in just the 'let's get her off the dark magicks' kind of way. No. The others had actually been talking about ending Willow's life. And it hurt her so deeply to think that things had come this far.

The young witch had thought that she had made Willow see. Just by that touch in the cave she had felt so good. That she was herself again. And then, she couldn't get her to see again. Her lover was just gone now. There was the sea of darkness inside of her. And she had to wonder how far Willow would go to keep that darkness flowing.

Tara sighed heavily at the thought. Her one true love was suffering. Suffering more then she should have to. Willow didn't see it like that. In fact, she thought it would free her of all that conflicted her before. That letting go was the one thing that she had to do. Just so she could live an easier life.

The blond finally got both little ones to sleep. She put up a protective barrier as she left their nursery. Though she knew that Willow could break down nearly any spell that she tried to use she still had to try. Try to keep their own mother away from them. It wasn't easy to do.

Slowly, she made her way to the kitchen. She needed something to keep her calm and to help her think clearly. If there was another way to stop Willow, then she would come up with it. She had sat in silence as the others went on. It was something that she had trouble even thinking about. How things might end.

One thought hit her hard. What if? What if she was able to bring Willow out of the place that she was in now. What would happen between the two of them? After all, the woman that she loved had already taken one life. Her own father's life. Tara was sure that there were others that had been hurt or worse already.

Would Willow ever be able to get over the fact that she did that? That she took human lives? Would that be something she would be able to forgive herself for? And if she could, could she move on? Or if not, could she manage to live with the guilt. Day after day after of guilt being thrust upon herself.

And of course, there were her own feelings. How would she be able to deal with things. Seeing that blank look on Ethan's face still haunted her dreams. And seeing how nonchalantly that Willow had taken off afterwards was another haunting sight as well. It terrified her at the ease that she had taken that life, though may not be so innocent of a life.

Tara took a sip of her tea. There were so many questions now. And so few answers. It wasn't something that was going to be resolved over night. When she got her everything back, it would take time. Perhaps even years for them to reach that what they had had just so short a time ago. And it would take a lot of work on both their parts.

But it would be worth it. The blond closed her eyes and remembered. Remembered the first kiss that they had shared. It had surprised Willow. But not her. She knew how she felt the moment that she had accidentally bumped into her that day. It was as if she were meeting the woman that she had dreamed about.

And those dreams included taking her away from the horror that was her family. And Willow had done that. And she had faced down her father. That was one of the best moments in her life. How her girl had stood up for her. Letting her father know that she was good and that he was the one that was no good. It made her feel the best she'd ever felt.

Until that night. When her little ones made their surprise arrival. They had been so wanted and so loved even before they were born. But they had to make it interesting. As all of life seemed to be. Nothing was ever easy. But it was always worth it in the end. And things seemed to work out the way that they were supposed to.

But this way was hard to deal with. Your lover, your everything was being ripped out of your life. And just after you had seemed to find the happiness that you never thought that you would find. It was rather unfair that things were working out the way that they were. But then again, she knew that life was anything but fair.

Tara stood up and made her way to the sliding door. She opened it and let the cool night air wash over her. There was just a sliver of a moon out tonight. And very few stars twinkling. It made her think of Willow. For as much as she knew her lover wanted to think otherwise, there was still just a sliver of good in her.

The key was going to be tapping into it. Before Willow did more damage to herself and to others. How was she going to do that? Or was it up to her? Now that was a thought that she hadn't had before. What if it wasn't up to her? What if it was up to someone else to be the one to help Willow find the right path again?

Those thoughts sent her mind reeling with so many possibilities. Could it be that this was the way that things were supposed to work out? Could it be that this was the answer that none of them had thought of so long ago? As close as Tara was to Willow and the connection that they shared, was it someone else that had to be the one?

Smiling for the first time in a long time, Tara closed the door on the crisp cool air. It had indeed helped to clear her mind and to help her think. Now, all she had to do was to figure out what it all meant. And the right person to help Willow.

It had to be one of the scoobies. It had to be one that had a connection to her. And the one that had the greatest connection besides herself was Xander. The two of them had been through so much in their lives. And at one time were all that the other had. Before she and Anya had come along. True, there was Buffy. But it wasn't the same.

All these thoughts gave Tara an idea. If she was thinking correctly, there still was a way that she could save her girl. It might mean that she had to rely on someone else. And some would say that Xander had no powers. But she knew. The minute that she had met the carpenter she knew that deep down he was one of the most powerful people she had ever met. It was the power of love that he held inside of himself.

First thing in the morning she would gather the others and let them in on what she had discovered. Hopefully it would be in time to save Willow. It wouldn't be easy. They would have to find her first. And they would have to deal with whatever defenses that she put up. But it would be worth it.

Tara made her way to the bed room. Alone she would sleep yet again. But this night would be unlike others she had had recently. For tonight, she would actually sleep. For she had hope on her side. And she had the power of good and the power of love. The most powerful things in the universe. More powerful then evil.


	84. Chapter 84

AN Hey everyone! Sorry been away a bit. Life got in the way. Sadly. But, life also goes on. So, here's the latest update for you. Hope you enjoy. And to my muse, love you always.

There was laughter. It was something that Tara had not heard in years. Ever since she had lost Willow to the darkside. And somehow, her love never was able to bring her back. It had been twenty years since that had happened. And Sunnydale, the whole world, was nothing like it used to be. Darkness hung over everything that surround her.

But today was a special day for the witch. She was proud of her little ones. They had managed to survive all the attacks of their mother. Not intentionally, but some of Willow's attempts to get her children back had ended up harming her little ones. It's what lead to the darkness that now surrounded her every waking moment.

The laughter sounded again, bringing her back from the past. The thoughts that would never stop haunting her. The continuous thought of how she could have done things differently so that things would not have turned out this way. For no matter what, she would love her Willow. If only that had been enough.

"Mother, please!" A very much grown up Jenny was standing in the doorway to her bedroom where Tara had been getting ready. "We actually have a few minutes of peace and quiet. Who knows how long this is gonna happen. We have to celebrate. Especially now that you are a grandmother."

Tara smiled up at her daughter. It was so wonderful to be able to see the next generation come into the world. But she had to wonder if it was so wise to keep the line going. Life was not exactly worth living anymore. But she went on. If only because her two children were there with her. As well as the newly arrived granddaughter.

"I know." Tara slowly stood up. She looked at herself in the mirror. Though she was now only barely forty years old, there were hints of grey in her hair. Her blond locks were slowly turning to silver. It seemed that with everything happening, she was aging faster then she should be. "The grey hairs on my head remind me of that fact every day. Now, let's go and celebrate."

Jenny lead her mother out into the larger living room. There were shelves that Xander, before his accident, had made for the books and other magickal items that Tara had collected over the years. She had enchanted the shelves so that not even Willow could get her hands on them without Tara being there. If only that had been enough.

"Where's Johnny?" Tara looked around the room. Her son-in-law was usually the first to be there. But he wasn't anywhere that she could sense. "We can't get started without him here. He would want to celebrate the blessing of his son."

Jenny looked down at her hands for a moment. It was her shy side that she had inherited from both her mothers coming out. She hated it when her mother forgot things. It always made it hard for her to have to deal with things that had happened so long ago in the past. Making her relive them over and over. It made it difficult to even somewhat come to terms with the past.

"Remember?" Jenny's voice was sad and quiet. It was like a distant whispering wind that can barely be heard. But that could still seemed that there was something trying to be said. Without actually having to say it. "Two weeks ago?"

Tara stared into those green eyes that were so much like the ones in her everything. It sometimes gave her chills when she saw those eyes and how much they reminded her of Willow. The witch tried to think. She tried to remember. There were times when she had trouble remembering what happened such a short time ago. But the past would ever haunt her. It would never let her forget what happened.

The greying blond searched those eyes for answers. Till she remembered what had happened to her poor unfortunate son-in-law. "Your mother." It was barely audible. But it was enough to let Jenny know that she remembered. "I'm sorry. I wish I'd quit forgetting these things. It's not like any of us want to dwell on them."

Jenny nodded her head sadly. Thinking about what her own mother did to her husband made her sick to her stomach. But she had finally figured out a way to get revenge. Her mother never saw it coming. That also made her sick to her stomach. Thinking that she could let her power get away from her as easily as her mother had. And seeing the path that had lead her on. It scared her, especially now that she had the little one to take care of alone.

"Well, I hope I haven't ruined things too much." Tara walked over to the little playpen where her granddaughter, Buffy, was playing. Seeing her reminded her of how the slayer had met her doom at the hands of her best friend. "This little one needs her blessing."

"That's for sure." Jenny made her way over by her mother. There were those in Willow's coven that had taken her death badly. Willow had not always been the most gracious of leaders, but she had commanded loyalty. And there were those that were there that would do anything to avenge their former boss. "Wonder where Xander and Anya are? They're usually here by now."

"Not sure." Tara closed her eyes for a moment. It was one of the things that she had learned to do over the years. She could sense where anyone that she knew was. And the closer she was to that person, the easier it was for her to locate them. Xander had stood by her more then any of the scoobies had. "I'm not sensing him."

"Could be he's using that cloaking spell that I taught him." Jenny quickly picked up her baby who was still laughing from time to time. "It could come in handy if he thinks he's being followed. I'm sure that's what it is." She held tight to the little one knowing that what she had said was probably not even close to being true.

"Jenny." Tara's voice was soft yet firm at the same time. "We've discussed doing this." Jenny's eyes met with hers. "We can't just hide the truth or possible truth from ourselves. We can't say that everything is all right. Especially when we know that there is so much danger out there in the world for us."

"I know." Jenny kissed the top of Buffy's head. "But it's easier then facing the truth. And it eases the pain, if only somewhat." Their eyes met again. "You can always keep trying to sense him. I'm sure that it'll be no time and you'll be able to find him. Whether he's alive or not."

Tara smiled proudly at her little girl. Well, her grown daughter. Images of both her and Willow holding her when she was so little flashed into her mind. It was a simpler time, even with fighting the bad guys. It was a time when she had everything that she had ever dreamed of in her life. How soon it was all torn away from her.

She shook her head so that she could focus on Xander and Anya even though she was certain that they were no longer alive. And that made her angry. If only for a brief moment, it made her more angry then she had been in a few weeks. She had managed to contain her anger. If she hadn't, she would have ended up like Willow.

The witch let her mind totally open up. She usually didn't do that in case that there was someone out there watching her. Willow had nearly destroyed her mind by accident. Just because she had wanted to take control of her body so that she would bring the babies to her. But she had fought back. And it had nearly destroyed both of them.

She could see the path that Xander and Anya would travel. It was one that had been setup a long time ago. It was protected by charms and other protection spells. There was an escape route should something happen. They should have been safe, if they had stayed on that path. But something could have made them stray from their path.

That's when she saw the blood. There was so much of it. She hadn't seen anything like that since they had fought Willow when she had tried sacrificing live pigs to a God that claimed to have control over people's minds. That had been a fierce battle. But then, all of their battles had been quite fierce. When one was battling for their children it was always a battle to end the earth. Or something like that.

The sight of the blood gave her chills. She knew what was coming in the next vision she saw. And yet, she was not nearly prepared for what she saw. Both Xander and Anya had been skinned alive. That had become a favorite way for Willow to torture someone. She would slowly strip their skin off. The screams of pain were agony to hear.

Quickly, she closed her mind. She had seen enough. It was always too much. She hated to let herself open up. Only pain and anger followed. She so did not need that in her life. Life was already too painful for words. And then to have more things just piled upon her. It was not fair at all. And there wasn't anything she could do about it.

Or was there? Tara put her hand on Jenny's shoulder. "I have to go. Xander and Anya need me. You stay here with Buffy. Take care of her no matter what. She's all that we have left and I can't lose that. I am so tired of losing. I won't lose anymore."

"Mother?" Jenny did not like the sound of her mother's tone. She knew that her mother would fight until the day that she died. But to her, it sounded like se was giving up and going to just let the anger wash over her. That was basically like giving up. "What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry." Tara kissed little Buffy on the top of the head. "I won't let anything happen to me. I can't. I'm all that you two have to protect you. You aren't as strong as me. At least, not yet. But in time, you will be. And you will be able to survive without me. But I have something that I have to do. So, let me go."

Jenny stared after her mother, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. This was supposed to be a day of celebration. But it was turning into any other day. One more tragedy that had to happen. But why? Why did there have to be so much tragedy and pain and anger in the world? It wasn't fair. It felt like she was watching her mother walk to her demise. And she could no longer hold back the tears.

* * *

The silvery blond hair blew gently in the wind. The witch stood tall and proud as she was at the one place that she had vowed she'd never go to. Not because she did not want to. In fact, she hungered every day to be at this place. To find some kind of peace in her life. To let things finally settle inside of her.

The place had its scars from battle. The battle had raged on. Long and hard. When it had finally ended, this was the place that her lovers body had finally rested. It was the spot that had seen it turn instantly to ash. The body had been used and abused. There was nothing left for it. Therefore, it returned to the earth that it had come from.

But she remembered it. Tara had even set up a memorial of sorts. The others had protested that she put up such a shrine to someone that had dedicated their lives to evil. But she remembered the good side of Willow. She remembered what she was like before her soul had been lost. It was as if she had been turned into a vampire. That would be the best way to describe it. That her soul was gone and what was left in its place was nothing but cruelty.

Tara stood and tears streaked her pale skin. She would always mourn for the loss of her lover. There was nothing that could take her place. It was just that simple to her. She would rather live a life alone then to ever even attempt to feel the way that she did about her Willow. Even after all that had been done and said.

The witch held out her hands over the makeshift grave. "Hear me, oh spirit. I call upon the one that belonged to these ashes. I call upon the soul. I call not upon the devil that took over the fragile body. I wish to speak to the one that I know so well. And that knows me oh so well. Come forth, I command you."

There was barely a swirling of wind. At first, Tara had thought that she had failed in her attempt to communicate with her beloved. But then, there was a flashing of light. Not too bright, just white and yellow lights flashing about. They swirled around until a form began to take shape. And the witch knew what form that was.

"Willow!" She could barely contain her joy at seeing her Willow. Not as the dark haired veiny person that she had become. But the radiant young red head that had immediately stolen her heart. "It's really you!"

"Of course it is." Willow looked at her Tara. "You've changed. What's happened while I've been gone? I can't remember anything after what happened in the cave. Did I do something? Is that why I've been gone so long? Is that why I can't remember?"

Tara burst into tears. "You let the evil take hold of you. You became the most feared creature upon the earth. It took your own daughter to be the one to destroy you. And let's just say that things are still rather dark around here. When your light went out, it took all the light with it. I don't know how I've lived as long as I have without you."

Willow swallowed hard. "You, no doubt, did it for Alexander and for Jenny. You would be the one that would give them strength in this time of horror. You were always the stronger of the two of us. I just didn't realize how so. You are the stronger one because you can control what you feel. You can control the power that thrives inside of you. If only I had been that strong..."

A soft say escaped Tara. "What's in the past is in the past. The reason I came here to talk to you is so that you'll help me now. Xander and Anya have just crossed over. I don't know if you've come across Buffy, Faith, or Giles. They were one of your first victims. It scared me how you, the evil that took over you, could so easily kill your friends."

"That's what evil does." Willow looked like she was going to be ill. "I can't believe that all of them are dead. And because of me. Or what I let happen. I can't grasp it, yet I know it's true. I wish there was some way that I could help now. If only..."

"There is one thing that you can do." Tara took a step closer. "You can guide them now. It will help make up for what has become of you. You need to redeem your soul. It's the only way that you and the earth will find the peace that it seeks. You must redeem yourself."

Willow nodded her head. "You are right. I know this. But how? How exactly can I repent and redeem myself for the terrible things that I have done? Tell me and I'll do it."

Tara began to laugh. It was not her laugh. It was an evil laugh. "You fool. You'll never be able to repent for the sins you have committed. You and all of the earth are damned to suffer for eternity." The evil laughter became deafening.

That's when Tara sat up in bed, sweat drenched. She looked around her and saw her two little ones fast asleep. It was all a dream. It was a dream of what the future could hold for her. It was not a happy thought. She wondered what Willow would think of it?

Across town, the dark haired Willow sat up in bed. She too, was drenched in sweat. It was not a world that she had foreseen. If she continued down the path that she was headed, would this be the results? Would she not only damn herself, but the entire world? And would Tara really truly forgive her for everything?


	85. 85

AN This will be my final posting on fanfiction. I will continue to post both Ordinary Lives and Choices of Life on another website. There is more info on my website. In time, I'll write the name of it. For now, I want to let those that want to read this do so before I am banned totally from fanfiction. I'm sorry for any inconvenience, but you can blame fanfiction for removing Ordinary Lives for a stupid reason. Thank you in advance for your support. If any questions, either go to my website http/ or e-mail me at Again, thank you. Especially to my love for always supporting me.

Dreams. It's what Willow used to have. Even in her darkened state, she could remember dreaming of things she wanted. The future that she was going to have with Tara no matter what evil happened to come along. She had thought that there was only one thing that could tear the two of them apart. That was the unfortunate demise of either of them.

In a way, she supposed that it was true that she had died. The soul that was inside of her was still there. But it was so far buried that no one, not even Tara, could reach it now. She wanted it that way. That way it was pretty much useless for anyone to try and reach her. Though, she knew that the scoobies would try.

The dream haunted her. She had thought that she was beyond fear. That she was beyond thoughts of being defeated. And beyond the concept of having to look for forgiveness. That showed weakness. And weakness was one thing that she refused to accept in herself or any of the members of the coven that she was slowly assembling.

There was an unusual group of witches gathered around her. They varied in power. Of course, none of them could even hope to match her power. And that was good to keep all of them in line. They worked so well when they feared for their lives. Otherwise, they would not care to do her bidding. Especially since her plan now was to get her children back.

World domination was her ultimate goal. But that would have to wait. It would have to wait until she had her family back by her side. Well, at least most of her family by her side. After all, there didn't seem to be a chance in hell that Tara would ever forgive her or stand by her side ever again.

Of course, that dream had told her otherwise. It had referred to the fact that there was forgiveness still in the young blond's heart. And that she would forever and for always love her. Even after watching her kill her own father, Tara still loved her. Not the part of her that had killed, but the part of her that had never been tainted by the darkside.

Willow thought about this for a moment. Though she was now evil through and through, there was still something about the thought of Tara forgiving her that was so appealing. There was a part of her that would throw everything out the window just to be with her again. But that was the weak part of her. The part that she would no longer let control her.

The dark haired witch turned back to her coven. Each was preparing their own version of an antiprotection spell. Though Willow had more power, she had failed to break through any of the spells that Tara had put around herself, the babies, and the scoobies. She would have her revenge before too long.

"How goes things?" Willow's sharp voice startled the others. She rarely spoke to them other then to give them orders. "I want to get my children back. Sooner then later ladies."

The strongest of the witches stood up and cautiously approached Willow. "We've all come up with a spell. The only problem, none of us has the power to actually make the spell work. But if one can get the power, one of them will be able to break through the barriers."

"They'd better." Willow turned her back for a moment. Though she was still the strongest of them, she was feeling a little down. Having tried so many times and so hard to break through Tara's protection had drained her. "Prepare the spells. I have an errand to run. I put you in charge, Elizabeth." She started to go. "But don't let that go to your head. After all, your head is easily removable."

Each of the witches swallowed hard as they watched Willow saunter out the door. Elizabeth turned to the group. "We have got to make sure that one of these works. And not just for my sake. I have a feeling that any one of us could be her next victim." There were silent nods of agreement as the group got back to their spells, fear being their motivation.

Willow was in the part of town that her good side never would have gone to. There might have been an emergency that she would have, but only in the case of death. But now, she was the one that creatures feared as she walked by. That feeling was quite intoxicating. If she were not careful, it could go to her head.

This was also an area that Buffy and Faith would patrol. She was not afraid of them, but to run into them ought to be quite interesting. But nothing would deter her from where she had to go. She needed an endless supply of power. There was one place that she had heard of from a very cooperative demon named Clem.

There was a human at the door. But then its eyelids opened sideways and the witch knew that it was some kind of demon or perhaps even an alien. It did not matter as long as it let her through. The creature nodded its head and move aside so that she could enter. Now that was a smart being.

There was something going on in the back. Some kind of fight of some kind. Willow ignored it and went to the bar. There was a familiar guy standing there. She had never gone to Willy's before, but knew enough about him to know the weasily guy when she saw him. Instead of looking at her, he was looking at what was going on in the back.

"You really should pay attention to your customers." Willy's face was pushed toward her by an invisible force. "Now, I've heard that you can get me the information that I want. If you can, maybe I can see to it that you get your old bar back. That's what you want, now isn't it?"

Willy was visibly shaking at this point. "You know that I do. But now, might not be the best time for that." His gaze kept going back to the ruckus that Willow had ignored earlier. "A couple of your old friends are here. And they are doing their thing."

Willow's eyes grew even darker for a moment. She turned toward the back of the room. Two vampires were hurled next to her. Her eyes never left the back of the room. Buffy and Faith emerged side by side from the crowd. "Well, well, if it isn't the dogooders I used to hang out with. What do you two want? Looking for me, I suppose."

"You suppose right." Buffy was the first to move toward her. "This has got to stop Willow. We know that you want to, deep down. In fact, we've got a proposition for you if you are willing to listen to reason."

"Reason?" Willow's laugh enveloped the entire bar. "You see, there is no reasoning with me. Well, not like how you would like there to be. Instead, there is only what I want. When I want it. And where I want it."

"Where do you want it then?" Faith came at Willow, her fist leading the way. She managed to connect a blow. Willow stood up and brushed herself off like she had never been hurt at all. "Gonna take a bit more force."

Willow waved her hand, but Faith just stood there. "I see that my ex is at it again. Well now. Two slayers that are into the magicks. This could get interesting. Too bad she isn't here. She'd be the one that might just be able to take me on."

"I thought so too." Willow's eyes widened at the sound of Tara's voice. She looked around and could not see her. "You see, I am here. But I'm also not here. If that makes sense. To you, I'm sure it does."

"I know the tricks." Willow tried to sense where Tara was coming from. Something was blocking her. Her girl was good, that was for sure. "I know how to get around them. It just might take me a bit."

"You don't have that amount of time." Tara appeared in front of her and touched her gently on the neck. "Time for sleep, my love. We'll deal with you the best way we can." She watched as Willow sunk to the ground. The blond witch turned to the two slayers. "It's safe, for now. But we need to hurry to get her back to the restraints."

"You got it." Faith nodded to Buffy. Both slayers picked up the downed witch.

It didn't take long to get back to the basement of The Magic Box. Xander, Anya, Giles, the twins, and Althena were already there. Spike was up in the office watching out for any signs of trouble. He felt like he should be with Buffy, but she had insisted that she and Faith would be better suited for this.

The slayers carried the witch to a specially prepared spot. Tara nodded as they laid her down on the bed. As soon as the slayers were clear, an invisible barrier shot up. Sighing heavily, the blond witch turned toward the others. "I know we agreed that you'd all be here. But I have to talk to her first."

"But what about me?" Xander shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you said that I would be the one that brought her back. Not that I want to step on anyone's toes. After all, I'm the one that's used to just getting the donuts. I'd be happy just getting the donuts instead of being the one that has to be the one to save the world."

"Breath." Anya put her arm around his shoulder. "Xander, you have to start breathing or you'll start hyperventilating. And then you could pass out. And then you could die. And I just got back to you. I don't want you dying. Please don't die yet Xander."

Xander smiled at Anya's little rant. "I won't be dying. Not today anyways."

"Don't count on it." Everyone turned to see a very much awake Willow. "You'll all die as soon as I can figure out how you rigged this thing." The evil witch ran her hand up and down the barrier. "Very nice. There doesn't seem to be a way around it. But give me time."

Tara looked at the others. Her look said it all and they took off. When they were alone, she turned back to the thing that had taken over her lovers body. "You don't have that much time. I know you had the dream." Willow tried not to, but could not help flinching. "Think of the life that you will be leaving your children to lead. Alexander will die trying to kill you. And your own daughter will be the one that does kill you. Think about that for a moment."

Willow turned her back on the blond. "Please. That dream was nothing. It did not mean that my kids would turn out that way. You know as well as I do, dreams and predicting the future are not that easy. There are too many variables to contend with. Like I don't think that the dream would have guessed that you and the others would have the guts to pull this." She turned around quickly. "Or had the smarts to."

It was meant to be a dig at Tara, but she only smiled sadly at her. "I think you mean that I had the power. You always did underestimate just how much power I had. It's true that you've always had more power then me. But using your power wisely does not mean that it makes you weak. In fact, it makes you stronger. Just look how I have you caged up now."

"So?" Willow waved her hand. A dozen lightening bolts bounced around the magickally formed jail cell. "I can keep doing this for hours on end and not lose much of my powers. And when I get out, I'll just remind you of how powerful I am and how much in control I am."

Tara's smile brightened a bit. "You were never in control. From the first day that we met, I was the one in control. Do you think that little sparkage that went from my hand to yours was just one of those things? I meant for it to happen. I'd been watching you walk around the campus. I was drawn to you from the very beginning."

"So?" Willow flung herself back on the bed. "You were a little lust bunny back then, putting the moves on me right from the start. Is that supposed to impress me somehow? Really, now. I don't think so. You were not in control."

"Who was the one that sent the first letter?" Tara came closer to the barrier. "Who was the one that talked to who first in class?" She put her hand on the barrier. "I was the one that caused you to make the choices you did. At least, I gave you a gentle nudge in the direction that I wanted you to go in."

Willow stood up and came face to face with her former everything. "Those are just minor things. You never controlled me. You never controlled my powers. It was always me that was in charge. You are so weak and feeble."

"I may have stuttered when we first met because I was so shy, but I always have been the one in control." Tara's blue eyes held those green ones locked in place. "I was the strong one. I survived my family. It's true that I needed you to help sever the final ties, but I was the one that got out. And I was the one that made the choice to live my life the way I wanted. Even if I was scared to death. You may be the most powerful wiccan magickally that ever lived, but I am the most powerful wiccan in this room."

"Ha!" Willow crossed her arms across her chest. "The magick is the power. Without it, no wiccan is anything. They might as well not exist without their powers. I am, and will always be, the most powerful wiccan."

"No." Tara's eyes got sad. "You forget the reason you first wanted to become a witch. It started out so that you could help Buffy, in more then just the computer way. You felt that you didn't contribute. Then, you felt the power that came along with magicks. And that's what turned you into what you are. Because you could not distinguish between the good and bad. No matter how hard you fought to."

"I don't want to fight it." Willow turned her back on Tara. "I like who I am. And I hope that I always stay this way. Whether you or any of the other scoobies like it. You can all just go to hell as far as I'm concerned."

"I'm already there." This made Willow turn around quickly. "I'm without the woman I love more then anything in the world. She died. I'm now left alone to raise two young wonderful kids." Willow started to say something, but Tara held up her hand. "I want you to know something. I forgive you. I forgive you for everything you have done and will do. It's not my Willow anymore. All you are, is an empty shell. The soul is gone. And I mourn for the woman that I fell in love with."

Willow just stood there and watched her walk out. There was so much of her that was screaming for her to go after her. But that was the weak side that she had buried so deep. No one could get to her. If Tara could not get to her, then who in the world could possibly get to her? No one, that's who.

Xander cautiously made his way toward his best friend. He held a protective charm that Tara had given him. He eyed the dark haired version of his friend cautiously. She looked up at him with an evil smile on her face. "Hey Will. Got a sec?"

"For you Xander, I've got an eternity." She smiled evilly. "I'm just thinking of how best to make you suffer for eternity. You still want to chat? Cause if you do, I'm thinking of skinning you one strip at a time."

Xander only shrugged his shoulders. "Go for it." Willow's eyes widened. "I just want you to know something. We all still love you, no matter what. You can kill us all and kill everything in the world, but we still love the Willow that was there before. So go ahead, do your worst?"

"Oh I will!" Willow's hands bashed against the barrier. It crashed down like glass smashing. She took off and jumped on Xander. She sat across his chest, her hands on his neck. "Or maybe I'll just suffocate you instead? Which option do you like better?" The laughter that escaped her would have chilled the master himself to the bone.


	86. 86

AN I know I said I wouldn't post here, but I thought how unfair it is to my loyal readers waiting for me to get it posted on the other site. So, I'll update here till it's on the other site. Will let everyone know either with author's note or check out my website. Sorry to be goofy. And to my muse, love you.

The little basinets sat in the middle of the big table in The Magic Box. Giles was behind the counter straining to hear what was going on in the basement. Anya was pacing back and forth clearly worried about Xander. Spike stood watch at the back door while Faith was at the front and Buffy near the basement door.

Tara sat with her little ones. She could feel the tension in the room. She still felt that she was mostly to blame. How could she not have seen or felt the direction that her everything was going in? They were so connected that at times, their hearts beat as one. Yet, she had missed it and it had cost Ethan his life.

The blond witch could not help but wonder what else it was going to cost. If her plan did not work, then Xander would surely be the first of the scoobies to lose his life. It would not be like in the dream, but it would still be an act that Willow would never be able to recover from. If that happened, she did not know what she would do.

She knew that she would forever be on the run with Jenny and Alexander. Once Willow got past Xander, it would be a matter of seconds before she was taking out the rest of the scoobies. That would be something that she would not know how to live with. But she would find a way. If only because of her little ones.

Her mind opened up and she tried to see Willow and Xander. Even though she had set up the room magickally, something was there preventing her. Must be that her girl was starting to break down the barriers. This gave her a moment of panic. Fear for Xander's life was noting new. At least not in the past months.

Anya caught Tara's eye. She was pacing back and forth at a rate she had never seen no human do. In her mind, she began to wonder just how much of Anya was really human. Was there still a part of that demon inside of her? If so, would she be able to control it if things got out of hand with Willow?

Another thought that made her physically ill. Having to have thoughts like that were so unpleasant. But then, so was nearly every day life as of late. She looked down at her two angels sound asleep. They were literally the only thing that was keeping her going at the moment. Yes, she still had a deep love for Willow. But her hope for her everything was waning.

"How could you?" Tara was startled by the anger in Anya's voice. "How could you leave him to fend for his own?" Anya was now standing right in front of the witch. "Since when are we to take orders from you? I thought that Giles was the one in charge. Even when he was no longer Buffy's watcher, he was still the head honcho. Why you?"

Tara slowly stood up. She had never liked to be the one in charge. It was nice when someone else took care of you. If all you had to do was worry about making them happy, it was the life for her. It was the way that it used to be with Willow. But then, things quickly change. "I'm the one that knows Willow the best. And I'm the one that knows the most about magicks. Trust me when I say that I don't ever want to be the one to be in charge."

Anya slammed her fists down on the table. The twins never even flinched for a second. "You don't care about Xander. All you care about is your lesbian lover. If you have to sacrifice one of us so that she survives, that's just all the better for you." The exdemon stood straighter and crossed her arms over her chest.

The blond witch turned her palms away from Anya. For preaching control, she was the one at the moment having trouble restraining herself. If her palms should face forward, Anya would be walking funny for weeks. "I care about all of my family. You, Buffy, Faith, Giles, Xander, and Willow are my family. You are the ones that welcomed me with open arms when I first arrived in Sunnydale. With a little bit of shock on some people's part. But I would never want harm to come to any of you."

Buffy came and stood between Tara and Anya. She turned to the exdemon. "I get that you are stressed out by what's going on in the basement, but you have to chill. Tara just wants what's best for everyone. If that meant sacrificing Willow, she'd do it in a heartbeat. But there is still the smallest glimmer of hope. So, we wait."

Anya shook her head. "You would take her side. You still have feelings for Xander. You always did want him for yourself. You and Willow both had a thing for him. You so have to get over him and get past it so that you can see clearly. I'm telling you that the witch here is using a form of human sacrifice."

"What?" Buffy started to laugh. "Leave it to you, the exdemon to think of human sacrifices. Pretty sad, that's for sure. You are a human Anya. I know that you were a demon for a couple thousand years, but get with the twenty first century. Things have gone beyond human sacrifices."

"Not always." Everyone turned to Giles' calm voice. "There are many demons that still practice such rituals. You've defeated a few of your own, Buffy. But that's not the point. The point is that you are terrified Anya. In our own way, we all are. We have so much at risk. And it's all up to Xander. I have every bit of confidence in him. It's just that Willow is formidable in the state that she is in. But we need to calm down and have faith in him."

Anya began pacing again. Something that had been said seemed to get to her. But Tara wondered how long her calm would hold out. Especially at that moment. They all heard it at the same time. It sounded like glass crashing. The exdemon sped to the basement door. Buffy kept it blocked and looked at Tara who sadly shook her head no.

"Get out of my way!" Anya tried to force the slayer out, but she was now a mere human and had no means to fight her. "Xander could be hurt. We need to get down there. Now!" She continued to struggle with Buffy, but to no avail.

At that moment, Tara could see what was happening in the basement. She concentrated and saw that Willow was choking Xander. It looked like his face was turning blue. Perhaps it was time to let the others go after her. It seemed that she had failed. Just trying to help the one that she loved. And yet, she was a failure.

"Maybe you should let her go." Everyone turned toward the witch. "I'm starting to have doubts about my own plan." She began looking at the ground. "I just wish I knew for sure what to do. There are no clear answers."

"Giles?" Buffy looked pleadingly to the one person that she trusted more then anyone in her life. "What to do you think? Is it time for slayer action? Or should we let things go for another few minutes."

Giles took his glasses off and began cleaning them. "I'd say that we try and do what I tried to say earlier. I say that we have a little bit of faith in Xander and even a little bit of faith in Willow. But do stay alert. We may have to move quickly."

Tara smiled gratefully at the watcher. She had really wanted to say that. But it appeared that her opinion with everyone was starting to wane. They were no longer looking at her for the answers. They were now beginning to blame her. And if Xander met his doom, she would blame herself. Forever.

Willow could feel her hands tightening around Xander's neck. The air was clearly cutoff. Just a short while ago, he would have easily been able to over power her. But she was the one with the power. She was the one that had all the control. No matter what Tara had said, she was the one that controlled everything.

Watching his face turn blue was a thrill. Actually watching as you drained someone's life was unreal. She had not had the pleasure when it had come to Ethan, her father. But now, she was looking into those eyes that she had known since she was in kindergarten with and before. There were so many memories surrounding the dismal little mortal.

Xander writhed as his breath kept slipping away. She would loosen her grip just to prolong the agony that he was going through. Just enough so that he would gasp in breaths of air like he was gulping down water after a long hike on a hot and humid day. It was like watching a fish that was flopping around on the pier as you waited for it to take its last breath.

How fitting. Xander was like a big fist. He was nothing to no one. He was one of those little guppies or minnows. Used for bate to attract the bigger fish. For who wanted a small no name fish? Only the best fish would do. They needed big fish so they could stretch the truth and make it even bigger then it was.

The evil witch could remember a lot of tales that Xander would weave. With her being the only witness, some were actually believed. But to most, he was just a simple geek and she was his side kick nerd. All of that changed once Buffy came to town. Everything changed that year. What would life had been like had the slayer never moved to Sunnydale.

It was an intriguing thought as she continued to tease her former best friend. Giving him just little gasps at life and then just as quickly taking it back. Would she have ever found out about vampires, demons, and magick? If she had never found out about magick, would she still have taken this dark path? Or would something else had lead her down that road.

With all of her conflicting thoughts, she distracted herself enough so that Xander could buck her off. She rolled across the room and slammed hard into the wall. Instantly, she was on her feet. Xander, however, was not as lucky. He was still rubbing his neck and gasping for air. He had managed to get to his knees, but that was it.

"If wouldn't let my mind wander, we would be done with it already." Willow slowly sauntered over to Xander. "I think that it's time that you realize just how powerful that I am." Her smile turned evil. "How about a few scars? I know you have so many emotional ones on the inside. Why not have matching ones on the outside?" She drew her hand back and made slashing motions at Xander.

Blood dripped instantly from his cheeks where claw like marks suddenly appeared. Xander looked up at his best friend and smiled. "Is that the best that you can do?" His voice was squeaky as he was still recovering. "I thought you were some powerful bad ass. Course, I love the sweet, innocent, shy girl that I grew up with."

"Not liking the new version?" Again, Willow made the slashing motions. This time there were rips in his shirt. "I thought that we would be friends no matter what happened. Has that changed? Have you changed as well as me? Or is it that your girlfriend is the one that has changed you. I'm thinking that might be it."

"A bit jealous?" Xander struggled to his feet. "And not in the 'I want to have hot sweaty sex' kind of way. I mean in the way that I'm not as here for you as I used to be. That someone else's opinion is valued and asked for. That would piss me off too. But I think the real reason you are like you are, if you want to know." He waited for Willow to speak. She stood glaring at him. "I think it's because we did drift apart. And not just you and me, either. I'm talking about the core scoobies. Buffy was involved with Riley and college. You went through tons of changes when you fell in love with Tara and college. Even G-man seemed to find a bit of a life with The Magic Box. And of course, I didn't have college but one job after another. And Anya used up a lot of my spare time. I think that's what's wrong."

"What?" Willow was shaking a bit as she slowly came toward Xander. "You think that I don't get enough feely touchy with my friends and that's what's turned me evil? Are you that dumb and that naive? Of course, you always were pretty much a simpleton. I never did have the heart to tell you. Now, I have no soul so it's easy."

Xander stood tall holding his chest where she had magickally clawed it. "You do have a soul. You aren't a vampire. It's just buried so deep that no one, including yourself, can find it. Well, I should say almost no one. I think I see a glimmer of it. I see that girl that was so scared to get in trouble when she broke the yellow crayon."

Willow's eyes widened for a moment. "You think some sappy story about our childhood is going to keep me from killing you?" She struck at him again. But this time, it did not hold as much of a punch. He was barely grazed. "You really are quite naive. And stupid. And, and, well the list is too long to go on with."

"I know." Xander slowly came toward her. "I'm a complete moron. I'm everyone's whipping boy. I'm just the guy that gets the donuts. You'd all starve if it weren't for me. I have no powers. Buffy and Faith are slayers. Anya still has some power left from her demon days. Giles is major league knowledge guy. You and Tara have the magicks covered. Plus, you are still a computer whiz, if ever a whiz there was."

"You agree with me." Willow's voice was not as strong as it had been just moment before. Her entire body was shaking a bit. "That just proves how much of a moron you really are. I can't understand how you've survived as long as you have. If I hadn't been watching out for you, you probably would be in trouble or worse."

Xander smiled big. "I know." Finally, he was near enough to take Willow's hand in his own. "And I'm grateful for that. I've actually had a pretty good life, up until now. I mean, my best friend is trying to make shish kebab out of me. Not my best day. But I still love her. I always will. She could even kill me and I'd love her and forgive her."

"W-what?" There were tears streaming down Willow's face. There seemed to be a bit of red to her blackened hair. Her eyes were not quite as dark as they were just a second before. "That's not right. No one would or should forgive me. I'm the one that let the damn prophecy come true. Not once, but twice! How lame is that!"

"Not lame." Xander pulled her into a hug. "It just means that you are as human as the rest of us. Even Buffy has not been able to avoid doing things that she did not want to. We have choices in life, that's true. But there are also times that no matter what choice that we make, there is already a path chosen for us."

"And how did you get so smart?" Willow's tears were now falling steadily. Her black hair was now the glorious red that it once was. Her eyes had turned back into those emerald green eyes that could light up the night. Her dark veins were no more. She was finally back to being the Willow everyone knew and loved.

"I guess it's because I grew up with you." Xander hugged her even tighter. "It was bound to happen. Your smarts were bound to eventually rub off on me. I'm lucky they did." They stood in silence for a several minutes. "You ready to face the others?"

Willow looked him in the eye. That was the question now. All the anger and hate were gone from her. She could still feel the power surging through her. And she knew that power could get the better of her if she was not careful. But the bigger question was, could she ever face her friends again? Especially Tara. What would Tara say and do when they talked? The fear was driving her nearly insane.


	87. 87

AN Glad you liked the ending. Now, dealing with consequences. Hope you didn't wait too long to get this chapter. I know some were on the edge of their seats. And to my muse, love you always.

Willow stared at the pictures. They were what were keeping her going at the moment. Seeing those two little angels staring back at her gave her the strength to do what she needed to do. It was something that she should have done a long time ago. She had started and then had been interrupted. If only the bad hadn't gone down the way that it had last summer.

But this was this summer. A year later and her control had once again gone kerplewy. It always seemed to kerplewy when they needed it the most. This time, Giles has said it was needed to defeat Drusilla. But that didn't mean that she had to turn herself totally over to it. That dark side that just grew and grew until it was bigger then life itself.

The redhead knew the things that Tara had said were true. She, not once in her life, had really ever been in control. She had all these choices surrounding her. But she always seemed to let others make the decision for her. It had started the instant that Xander had defended her back in kindergarten. She had simply followed his lead after that.

Life was full of choices for her now. She could pack it in and not face the things that she had done or she could fight the good fight. Realize that she had taken more then one life. Rack had been one that some would say was not a human. But he was a warlock. He lived on the powers that others had. He got off on it. Just like she had begun to do.

But the real one that was going to haunt her the rest of her life was the fact that she had killed her very own father. It was true that the Ethan Rayne that she had known was more trouble then anything else. He had messed with the scoobies on several occasions. Halloween she had become a ghost because of it. Though, she had gotten a bit more confidence because of it. Then there was the band candy. That had made all the grownups act even worse then they were. Talk about nightmares.

The worse thing that he had down was get involved in with evil Riley. Or could it be him almost helping with Drusilla? That one really topped everything. He had nearly sacrificed his own grandchildren. And for what? What Drusilla had sought to bring to earth went beyond the chaos that he claimed to worship and revere.

It did make one wonder what was going through his mind. Was it the promise of riches? Was it the promise of power? What had driven her father to go to such lengths. Perhaps if she understood him better she could understand herself better. Though your parents do influence you and your behavior, it is up to you to figure out for yourself who you really are.

As Tara pointed out to her, she was affected by outside forces. Not just those that controlled her either. Everything surrounding her affected her in one way or another. It was up to her how she let it affect her. That happened the moment that she had met Tara. It was the first time in her life that she had begun to make her own decisions. Granted, Tara was a large part of that. But she was more independent then she ever had been before in her life.

Perhaps independence isn't everything that it is cracked up to be. Perhaps it would be better to be a part of a team. Perhaps it would be better to be able to consult one another and then to be able to make better choices with better ways of looking at things. A partnership truly did have its advantages.

The two innocent faces looked back up at the fallen witch. She had know ultimate power though it was all evil. She had yet to experience that kind of power that was pure and good. She longed to feel that kind of power. Perhaps then she could stop having the nightmares over and over and over again.

Willow didn't know which ones were worse. There were the ones where by her doing whatever it took to get her children back that she would destroy the people she loved. That had not really happened but it was still crystal clear in her mind from the vision/nightmare that she had had foretelling of it.

There was the one where she did not even think about it. She simply just killed her father. Just a wave of the hand and he ceased to exist anymore. There was no human being that deserved or could handle that kind of power. She was living proof of that. It would forever haunt her, not only the taking of his life, but the ease to which she had done it.

There were nightmares involving her friends. How close she had come to destroying Buffy and Faith. It saddened her to think how easily that friendship was just thrown out the window. Granted, Faith had turned her back on the scoobies a few years ago. But she had more then made amends. It was now her turn to have to try and make up for what she had done.

Even though she loved Tara more then anything, the one nightmare that seemed to haunt her every single night was the one about Xander. She had not seen him in the past five weeks. She knew that he had scars on his face and on his chest from what she had done to him. For that, she would feel the most guilty about.

Nearly choking the life out of the one person that had been there for her since she was five years old was not a feeling that she relished. Yet, when the dark powers had control of her, it was that feeling that had been so darn intoxicating to her. How could taking the life of someone that you loved feel so good to you?

Willow shivered at the thought. They were thoughts that plagued her now night and day. It had been like this ever since she got back to England. Althena and her coven were teaching her the proper ways to deal with her powers. She could sense that many of them were terrified of her. She was the most powerful being that they had ever come in contact with. And of course there was the fact that she had killed someone.

That was not a good way to make friends. 'Hello. My name is Willow Rosenberg. I'm the most powerful witch on the earth. To prove it, I simply waved my hand and killed my father.' They were all so terrified of her. And she could not blame them. If she had been them, she would be terrified of herself as well.

Tears streamed down her face as she looked at those sweet innocent faces. She had missed so much of their growing up now. She felt so guilty that Tara was having to raise them by herself. Of course, the gang was all pitching in when they could. But they were busy rebuilding their lives after the latest apocalypse that she herself was at fault for.

Buffy was still adjusting from coming from the other dimension. What she had said about the witch had come true. It appeared that it was almost like a destiny that she had to go down the dark road. Was there a reason why she had to? Would some day having experienced it help her to do something great? The witch could only hope so.

Xander had proposed to Anya. They were going to get married in the fall. Her best friend had sent her a letter asking that he be her best man. Even after everything that had happened, he still wanted her by his side. That letter had made her feel so guilty and so sad. Because of the things that she had done, she nearly cost Xander his once in a lifetime happiness.

Faith was still pretty much on her own. She seemed to be distancing herself from everyone again. But unlike past times, she would always come to every scooby meeting and if Giles asked her to do something, she would without hesitation. Willow suspected that all the alone time was due to her. The slayer was reflecting on her own bout with evil.

Seemed that Spike was getting a bit restless. It was obvious to anyone that he was in love with Buffy. That was the main reason that he had fought to get his soul back. It was the reason that he was continuing to fight the good fight. But Buffy was seeming to want to keep to her own. Something about her past in the other dimension hitting too close for comfort.

The only one that seemed to be happy as of late was Giles. It was something so unexpected yet everyone just saw it as something natural happening. It seemed that he was now officially dating Mrs. Summers. It seemed that there was something that had happened during the whole band candy episode. Both had tried to bury their feelings, but now they figured that life was too short. They had to grab happiness where they could find it.

Willow covered her ears with her hands. She could hear that sound. That bloody sound of her ripping Xander's skin. It was the most gut wrenching sound that she had ever heard in her life. For her to cause that much pain was just more then she could bear. But she had to. She had to face up to everything that she had done.

There was sweat dripping down her face as she finally opened her eyes and uncovered her ears. It was like she wanted to torture herself over and over again. With good reason too. How many people did what she did and lived. How many people did what she did and didn't get some kind of punishment. For killing her own father, she should be in jail. Probably for the rest of her life all alone.

There was a knock on the door. "Sorry to interrupt your meditation time but you have a phone call. If you feel up to it." The voice was a bit strained. Willow realized it was because of the fear of her.

"Thanks. I'll make up the time, I promise." The redhead made her way over to the phone by her bed. She sat on the edge of the bed as she answered. "Hello?" She was hoping that it was the one person that she wanted and hoped for forgiveness from the most.

"Hey sweetie." Tara's voice was soft and gentle. It still held all of the love that she felt and more. If Willow were to be able to really listen, she would hear the fact that she forgave her everything that had happened. "I'm not exactly sure what time it is there but the twins got me up and I had trouble getting back to sleep. I figured that you could use a break from everything."

"Always nice to be interrupted by you." Willow instantly had a smile on her face. "Thinking of you and the kids are what keep me going. I have so much to deal with. And not just the power issue. I have to learn to deal with what I've done. And to wonder if anyone will every be able to look at me the same."

"They will." Tara's voice was sweet and assured at the same time. "You just have to give everyone time. The wounds are so new yet. And it will take some longer then others to be able to forgive you. Xander holds no grudge whatsoever. In fact, he keeps telling the story of the yellow crayon. How it seemed to be what snapped you out of your spell."

"He keeps telling me that. I mean about the whole forgiveness thing." Willow sighed a bit. "I can't believe that he still wants me to be his best man. After everything that I put him through, I feel so guilty. Of course, I feel guilty just for breathing right now. But still, he's the one that has the scars on the outside of what I did to him. Bet Anya just loves that."

"Actually, Anya is quite proud of him." Tara giggled a bit. "Not that she wasn't before but now she has something to brag about. How her man saved the earth. Not that she can tell many people who don't think she's crazy. But she still goes around telling everyone."

"Yeah. That's Anya for you." There was a slight lull in the conversation. "This feels so weird. And I don't mean us talking on the phone. I mean struggling to find the right words. Afraid that I'll say or do the wrong thing. I seem to be second guessing myself about everything. It took me twenty minutes just to decide what to eat."

"It's going to for a long time." Tara could only emphasize with her girl. There was no way that she could know for sure exactly what Willow was going through. "It's awkward for me as well. Not because of the things that you've done. Not because I'm not sure of what to say to you. It's just that it feels like we are starting from the beginning again. I mean, we never really did do the phone thing now did we."

This brought out a bit of a laugh from Willow. It was the first that she had in what seemed like weeks. It only seemed to happen when she was talking to her everything. "No, we never did. We went from you writing me letters to us meeting on campus. Things kinda happened quickly after that. I think we never really were friends. I think we were always girlfriends."

"I know." Tara's voice was so sweet. "I don't know what made us both go to The University of Michigan, but I do know that I was the one that pursued you. I wanted you in every way. I still do."

"Oh Tara!" That made Willow burst into tears. It had been implied how Tara had felt. But she had yet to say it like that since everything had happened. Partly it was to not pressure Willow. Partly it was because it was difficult to say. "My biggest fear all along has been to lose you. I should know better. You will stand by me no matter what happens. But to hear it..."

"I know." Tara's smile could be heard through the telephone wires. "It goes without saying that we both love one another very much. But it's nice to hear it. It's nice to know that we are both desired and needed. And we always will be. Especially when things happen."

"Like me going all crazy on everyone." Willow's voice got so sad. "I could have killed you all and not blinked twice if you hadn't figured out how to deal with the inner demon. I think everyone thought that it would be you that would get to me. And I think that talk we had before it was just me and Xander did soften me up a bit."

"It was meant to." Tara's voice also had a sad tone to it. "I was trying to put the evil you in her place. Making sure that she knew that she wasn't all that. I knew deep down inside that you knew what I was telling you. It was that veil that was over you that was denying everything. I'm just glad that my theory worked."

"I know." Willow looked at the clock. "I don't want to let you go but it's time for my class with Mrs. Muir. Hers is the most important class I think. She deals with two things. One, how to control the power and how not to let it control you. And two, how to in every day life to keep your cool. Especially not to resort to magicks."

"That sounds good." Tara smiled a bit again and it shown in her voice. "Because you were such a spaz before." Both chuckled a bit at this. "I hate to let you go as well. But I should probably try and get some sleep. The twins will be up and a handful before too long. They are a bit cranky without you here."

"I'm a bit depressed without all my darlings with me." Willow sighed. "But unlike last time, I'm going to finish this control course. And then will come the hardest part of my recovery."

"You'll have to face your friends." Tara knew how hard that would be for her. Or at least she could imagine how hard it was going to be.

"Exactly." Willow looked out the window. She could see her class gathering. "I really haven't had to face them yet. That's still what is driving me insane. I know you'll love me no matter what. And Xander seems pretty cool with everything. But how will the others react? Especially since Buffy already lived dealing with evil me once. And you know how hard it was for her to trust me. Now how am I going to earn everyone's trust once again?" Only time would tell if she could. Fortunately, time was something that Willow had a lot of.


	88. Chapter 88

AN Here's another chapter. Sorry it took so long to get posted. Hope you guys like this. Dealing with emotions is tricky. On with the show. And to my sweet who I love more every day.

Willow concentrated as she pulled a flower from across the globe. She could feel a presence behind her but chose to ignore it and instead keep her focus and control. It was one of the exercises that Mrs. Muir wanted her to do every day. There were also times when she wanted her to restrain from any magick at all. That one was still her most difficult. She could literally feel the magick flowing throughout her entire body.

"That's from Africa, I do believe." The flower slowly went back into the earth that it had come from. "That's quite impressive. Must take a lot of control and energy to be able to do such a thing."

The redhead smiled and looked up at the unexpected visitor. "You already know that, Giles." The witch pulled herself up from the ground and looked her mentor in the eye. "Too bad I couldn't have learned to do it a few months ago. All of this could have been avoided. If only I hadn't rushed things and had learned the control when I had the chance."

"It's not all your fault." Willow raised an eyebrow at the former librarian. "True, you could have come back here after you knew that Buffy and I were safe. But you were needed back in Sunnydale. You are still needed back in Sunnydale. And not just by your wife and your children."

Willow looked away from him at the mention of Tara and her kids. She knew that Tara had forgive her. And would love her forever and for always. What had her ashamed and worried now was what her little ones would think of her when they grew up. When they could finally be able to take in what their mother had done and nearly done. How would she explain it to them? Could she say, 'learn control like your mother didn't so you don't feel guilt every single nanosecond of every day'?

The witch turned her back on her friend. "Giles, why?" He came up and place a hand on her shoulder. "Why was I given this power? You and the other elders say that it is now a part of me. That, in a smaller form, always was. Why would something like that be given to someone like me? One that goes all wonky the second she gets a taste of power. Not once, but over and over and over again."

"We are given all that we can handle." Giles forced the young witch to face him. "Life sometimes takes twists that we could never imagine happening. We have to deal with each one as they come along. I believe that we can handle whatever is thrown at us. Even those that think they are not strong have an inner strength." He fell silent but there was something on his face.

"You know something, don't you?" Giles took off his glasses and began cleaning them. "I know that tactic, Giles. I can see it in your eyes. I can feel your energy and how it wants to release a bit of itself. You know something about me. Is it something I should know? Should I be concentrating harder? Did one of the seers see a relapse for me? Tell me, please!"

Giles smiled sadly at his young charge. There was still so much wonder and power and knowledge about the young woman. Her energies were amazing to him, not including the magickal ones. She was one that wanted to live life to its fullest. And yet, she was the one that had nearly destroyed all of that. Human frailties amazed and scared him at the same time.

"I believe I do know something." Giles took her hand. "But I can't share it with you quite yet. I just know that you will be ready when the time comes. Unfortunately, it might be sooner then we had thought. But for now, just worry about your studies. If you can complete Mrs. Muir's class, you should be ready to face whatever the world has to offer you. The other courses are just icing on the cake."

Willow looked at the watcher. She knew that he could be trusted. But something just didn't seem right to her. Not that she had the best judgement. The past showed that in glaring ways. The only good choices she seemed to make were being with Tara and having the kids. And then she knew that they weren't exactly her choices. Fate played a hand that she was just grateful to be playing. With the exception of all the darkness that she had caused and lived through.

"I'm not worthy of anything good." Willow pulled her hand out of her mentors. "I destroyed lives! Not just by taking them, either. I don't know if Ethan had any family, but it still affects the rest of the universe that I took a life before its time. I must have really traumatized Buffy in the other dimension. She won't even write to me let alone talk to me on the phone. Xander is still too scared to talk to me on the phone yet writes to me that he still wants me to be his best man. Tara is all alone with the kids when I should be there sharing in the responsibilities. I don't deserve whatever good is to come from this."

Giles took a careful step toward her. Not because he was afraid, but because he did not want to frighten her. "You have to understand something. We all have our pasts that we are not proud of. We've all dabbled with the forces of darkness. We've all done things that we wish that we could take back. If I hadn't dabbled in the dark arts when I was a young man, I wouldn't have put you and the others in danger. I nearly am the one that killed Jenny. I won't forgive myself for that. And yet, I know that if I had not gone through those things, I would not be able to be the person that I am. I learned that we have to accept who we are. Whether that means that we are limited in certain ways or that we have to limit what gifts we have. It's called life, my dear. It's not easy to live. It's not easy to figure out. All you have to do is to keep on living it. You've got three very important reasons. Four should you choose to include yourself. I hate to say it, but it might be the biggest reason of all."

Willow looked up at the watcher. She was trying to take in what he had said. Not only about how you can't change life and it throws punches at you that you don't expect, but also the fact that she herself would be the biggest reason. In her mind, she felt that she did not deserve redemption. That she should not even consider the fact that others may forgive her. Or that she would ever be able to forgive herself. The things that she had done...

"Perhaps I'm not the one that you need be talking to." Giles waved his hand. "I thought that you might just need someone to help give you encouragement. And to help you see what I am saying. I feel that they are the only ones that you will really listen to. At least about this subject anyways."

The redhead's eyes lit up. She did not think she would be seeing Tara so soon. She thought that it would be months before either she could go to her or Tara could come to her. And to see her little ones. The pictures were nice, but they did not do it justice. To see them and to feel them was a whole new story. One that she knew that she did not deserve but so desperately wanted. How selfish of her. Perhaps that was part of her problem as well. She was more selfish then she cared to admit.

There were tears in the witch's eyes as she saw the size of her little ones. The little blond haired little girl with her mother's blue eyes looked at her in wonder. It was as if she was looking at a stranger. In a way, she was. The little redhead boy with green eyes smiled instantly at her. It was as if he knew exactly who she was and loved her without question.

Tara didn't say a word. She slowly walked toward her everything. She gently kissed each of the tears away from her everything's cheeks. The blond then put each of the little ones in one of Willow's arms. Mother and children were finally reunited. Willow knew that it was only temporary but it was still the most amazing feeling in the world to have her babies in her arms. She never thought that she could feel more love until she held them in her arms.

"I thought that it might help." Giles took a few steps back from the happy couple. "To have your family around you." He smiled as the foursome embraced one another. "I hate to do this but I must remind you that it is only for three days. I'm bending the rules a bit in allowing you to see each other. But I feel that Willow gets her strength and her inspiration from her family. So enjoy. If you need me, I'll be at the main house. Willow knows the way."

Before either could say anything, he was strides away. Willow looked into those sea blue eyes that had captured her heart so long ago. "This is a bit awkward. I mean, hugging you and kissing you feels so natural. Yet, just being with you feels so weird. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve little rewards for doing what I'm supposed to. What I should have done so that so many people would not have been hurt in the process."

"I didn't think Giles was right." Tara looked at her everything, a sad look upon her face. "I know that Giles is a very wise man and knows a lot of things, but I really thought that he was wrong about this one. I thought I knew you better then this."

"What?" Willow now had a confused look on her face. "What was he right about? And what are you talking about knowing me better? We know each other inside and out. Fatal flaws and all."

Tara shook her head sadly. "No time for jokes." She sighed heavily. "I thought I knew you better. I thought that you were a fighter and a survivor. I didn't think that you would so easily give into self pity. It's not good for you. And before you say it, I know that you want to atone for what you did. That you do feel guilty for what you've done, as you should. But to keep wallowing in it will only keep you at this stage. And that's feeling sorry for yourself. Not dealing with what happened. Not knowing that you will always feel guilty for the things that you did. And that you have learned from your grave errors."

The redhead turned her head away from her everything. She knew that she was right in so many ways. But to face the fact that she took a life, more then one, and then just be able to live her life was not going to be easy. In fact, she didn't know if she could ever do that. The haunting images and the nightmares were a constant reminder. Ones that did not seem to want to go anywhere any time soon.

"I didn't realize I was being selfish as Giles put it." She sighed heavily. "All I know is that every time I close my eyes, I see what I did to my father. If not that, then I see how badly I physically and emotionally hurt Xander. I hear the words that I said to you over and over again. All these images won't leave me alone. All those sounds. I can't shut it off. It just keeps going and going."

Tara watched as Willow carefully collapsed to the ground, their little ones still in her arms. She did not hesitate a second in joining her. "You'll hear and see those things. A lot for the rest of your life. You wouldn't be the good person that I know you to be if you did not. It's a truly evil person that doesn't feel regret or remorse for the things that they have done. But you've got to let yourself put those things in the past. Not to be forgotten. Just to be tucked inside of you close to your heart. That way if things should happen again, your heart will beat and you will know that you have a choice to make. Listen to your heart or ignore it and see the people that you love so much get hurt all over again."

Willow was silent for a few minutes. She just held on tightly to her little ones. She could not look Tara in the eyes. It was just too soon for her to be putting things to the side as one might say. She was holding on to the things that she had done. If she didn't, she believed that she was doomed to repeat them. It couldn't be as easy as Tara said it was. Just to have them just below the surface and then come back to remind her should she do something stupid once again.

"Maybe you're right." Willow still could not look Tara in the eyes. "Maybe some day things will work that way for me. But I don't think so. I think that, for the foreseeable future, I'll be holding on to the things I've done. These two little ones are reason enough for that. I mean, what would I have done to them if I had gotten a hold of them when I was all evil?"

Images started to play in both witches minds. It was nearly too much for both of them to bear. In fact, Tara took both of the little ones away from Willow. It wasn't reacting to the now, it was reacting to the what if. What if Willow strayed. What if Willow reverted back to the evil ways. Would her children ever be safe from harm then?

Willow quickly stood, more tears in her eyes. "I have class. I'll be back in an hour to the main house. Do you know your way?" Tara nodded silently. "I'll see you then. I love you and the kids." Without waiting for a response, the redhead was off like a shot. She just kept running and running. Images were fueling her need for speed.

Suddenly, she ran into something, hard. When she was finally able to look up, it was Giles. He looked down at his charge and smiled sadly. "I take it that things did not go as planned with your family?" When Willow refused to look him in the eye, he had his answer. "It will take time for you two to be able to get back to where you were. A lot of trust issues were broken. But bare in mind that Tara loves you without reservation."

"I'm not so sure about that." Willow sighed heavily and fully laid back on the ground. The sun was just nearing its highest peak. "She took our kids away from me when we both thought about the what if. What if I hadn't changed back? What if I did change now? How would I treat the kids? What would I do to them? Would Tara be able to protect them? I'm thinking she doesn't want to find out the answer to that."

Giles sat down beside his young friend. "I've known you for several years now. I've seen you go through so many changes. You really have come into your own in a lot of ways. This last bit not being one of your finer moments." Willow glared at him as if to say that was supposed to be comforting. The watcher smiled sadly. "The one thing I know about you that you have that the others don't have is a resilience. I watched you as you fought for Oz when you found out he was a werewolf and again when you were conflicted in your feelings. The fact that you are not ashamed of your relationship with Tara and freely show your affection is another strength that you have. When we all thought that Buffy was lost to us, you were the one that came up with a way to bring her back. Granted, it was not in the greatest way. To me, it seems that whatever happens to you, you will fight until you get back to where you want to be. Having your relationship with Tara and the children strained is only going to give you more resolved in facing what you've done and to learn to avoid your past mistakes."

Willow smiled up at the man that seemed to know so much. No matter the situation, he always seemed to know what to say or do. In this case, he was telling her in no uncertain terms to get over herself. Yet at the same time, he was telling her that it would take time to do so. The others would accept her for who she was and always will be. It also was going to take time.

The witch reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a picture. It was already outdated and old and wrinkled she had looked at it so much. She even had the real thing here with her now but the picture was what she could hold on to. In time, she would hold onto everything that was dear to her. Her friends, her family, and hopefully to that person that she once was. Scars and all.


	89. Chapter 89

AN Sorry it took so long to update. Usual excuses. Books, jobs, life. Oh yeah. And spending time with my girl. Love you my sweet!

Xander sat staring at a picture that was taken back when Buffy had first moved to Sunnydale. It was of him, Willow, and Buffy. They had been so close back then. They had seemed to find an instant rapport with one another. There had been the fighting of the evil and losing a common friend.

But there was more to it then that, especially when it came to Willow. The two of them had gone through so much back in grade school. Middle school was not much better. They had always been the outcasts and the favorite targets of Cordelia Chase. It was not until they had become friends with Buffy that things had changed.

They had still been outcasts. But they had become something that people did not know about. They were like these super heroes, with Buffy being the muscles, Willow being the brains, and him being the one that always needed saving. Well, not always. But there had been a few memorable times.

He longed for those days. Usually once one grew up, they wished never to have to think about going back to high school. For most people, it was the last place that they ever wanted to have to go. But for him, it was the greatest time of his life. Once college had come along, he had been pushed aside. He was not 'college guy'. He was just plain 'civilian guy'.

It had taken them having to fight in unity for them to realize that they had been distancing themselves from one another. And now, it seemed like that was the case. It seemed that the reason to him that Willow had gone done the dark path was because they had again not been as close as they had once been.

True, she had Tara. And it was good that they had one another. A love like theirs comes but once in a lifetime. They had to fight through their fair share of things. But Willow and he had been best friends forever. Without the other in their lives, they weren't complete. They weren't as strong as they could be.

The carpenter stared at the picture. He remembered the day that the picture was taken. They were having a picnic out in the quad that day. Just after it was taken, Principal Snyder had come along and told them that they had been up to no good and that he knew they were planning something. He would get to the bottom of it. He had always been paranoid. Of the wrong people.

Xander stood up and made his way over to the telephone. He knew Willow's number in England by heart. He had picked up the phone so many times and dialed. But after the first ring, he had hung up. It was not because he was afraid to talk to his best friend. It was because he didn't want to face the fact that he was to blame for everything that had happened.

His hand sat on the receiver for what seemed like forever. He just could not seem to get himself to pick it up. All he wanted was to hear his friends voice. Giles had said that seeing anyone might do her more harm then good. Even then, he had allowed Tara and the kids to go. But it might be the hardest thing to face himself. After all, she had truly tried to kill him.

With that thought, he pulled his hand back to his side. Again, it was not because he was afraid of Willow. He knew that his best friend could come back from this. All the times that they had had discussions on how to handle her, he had been the one voice that had said that they try to help her through this, that she could be redeemed.

The others had nearly laughed at him. All but Tara, that is. Willow's wife had never lost faith in her. She had known that there would be some way that they could get her back from the dark side. It would just take a bit to get her back. That took real love and real faith for someone to believe that strongly in someone else.

What Xander was afraid of was that he would be a reminder of what she had nearly done. What would that do to her recovery to keep reliving that moment over an over again? It played out in his head nearly every day. But he could see that it was not his Willow that was doing those thing. He knew that it was this dark creature that merely inhabited his best friend's body.

Instead of picking up the phone, Xander thought of something else he might do for his best friend. It would beat the letters that he so clearly was lousy at writing. It was one way that Willow could see that he was not afraid of her and that he forgave her. Hopefully she would appreciate it. Hopefully she would be able to reach out to him. For that was the way that he thought it should be. It should be her making the first move. Only so that he knew that she was truly ready to be hopefully forgiven.

Buffy paced back and forth. She had been pulled from one nightmare into another one. She had tried to think that she had come to a place that was for the better. But then, Willow once again went all wonky on her. At least in this dimension Willow had somehow been defeated. What got the slayer was if it was going to last.

The things that she had seen the other evil Willow do still was fresh in her mind. The Willow in this time had been mild compared to her. What had been the difference? Why had Willow been totally evil in one dimension and only partially evil in another? There just had to be a reason for it.

Then it dawned on the slayer. It was really simple. It was something that the Willow she had known had never really had. True, her Willow had seemed to have been happy with Oz. But then something happened between her and the Tara she knew. But the Willow she knew had chosen for the longest of times to stay with Oz. It was not until he had been killed by that poacher that she had finally given into her feelings for Tara.

By that time, it was too late. Drusilla had started up and Willow had turned evil. She had turned so evil that she had destroyed, not only the insane vampire, but all the vampires that had been helping her. She had destroyed, not only Ethan, but also Giles. It was all in the thought of her mind that she had done these things.

Tara had tried to stop her. They all had. But there just was not that bond there. Perhaps if Willow and Tara had been closer in her dimension then perhaps Willow would not have gone to extremes. Perhaps there could have been a way to save her as well. But that had not been how things had happened. In her time, there had been an out of control witch that no one could stop. Not even the great Buffy slayer.

Buffy took a swing at the nearest tree. Her hand hurt and her knuckles were bloody from scraping along the bark. In a way, it felt good. In her time, she had learned to turn off her feelings. All of her feelings whether they be emotional or physical. To feel anything was something big for her.

Feeling conflicted like she was, in a way, was a good thing. It meant that in this place, things were not black and white. You were not just good or evil. Things were not always what they seemed. Life was much more of a mystery in this world then her last. In her last, it was kill or be killed. It was really that simple.

But here, there were choices. One could think of the infinite possibilities and make whatever choice they made. It was not necessarily right or wrong. It was just one being left to their own to make mistakes to learn from. Some mistakes were bigger then others. The slayer also realized that no one was perfect.

In that very moment, Buffy smiled. It was the first time she had really smiled since being brought to this dimension. It felt good to smile. It saddened her a bit. Because the reason that she was smiling was because she knew in this dimension she still had her best friend. She was not going to have to fight her anymore. She and Willow could be buds once again.

Willow walked the big grounds. It was late at night and she was using a little spell that Tara had long ago taught her. She had tweaked it a bit so that it the light shined a big more. It was her way of practicing control and yet remembering the good things of her past. Just remembering those sessions that she and Tara had had brought a miles to her face.

The stars were out in abundance. There was not a great need for the light but it gave her comfort. The moon was only a sliver of itself. But it still had this shine about it. Willow knew what that meant. The moon really did have powers. It was preached a long ago by wiccans that the moon held great powers. There were those that scoffed. But the witch could feel the energy of the moon as the rays hit her.

It was the last day of Tara's visit. Since Tara had taken the children out of her arms like she had, the two had strained conversations. Willow could not blame Tara for what she had done. But it still had hurt a great deal. Tara knew that she had hurt her everything. But there was nothing she could do about that. Her babies would forever come first.

The redhead sat down against the tree that was being hers. She was there so often that others just knew where to find her. Tonight, she needed it to lean on to think. There were not many nights when she slept well yet. There were too many nightmares that she kept reliving over and over again. But tonight, Tara's reaction was what was keeping her up.

Giles' words were also keeping her up. She knew that she had to think about the things that she had done. Not just to think about them, but to really face them. It was one thing to let the nightmares punish her over and over again. It was another thing for her to actually think about what she had done and what the consequences would be.

The greatest sin in her mind was the taking of Ethan's life. She would feel eternally guilty for all the harm that she had cause, especially to Xander. But she had taken a life. Not just any life, either. It was her own flesh and bloods that she had taken. She was leaving her children without their blood grandfather. Granted, he had not always walked on the straight and narrow, but still. He was their grandfather and her father.

She watched in her mind as she had tortured him to death. In her way, it was torture. Having him die and in great pain had been the goal behind it. It was like watching someone else do the things that she herself had done. It terrified her that it really was her that had done such things. Would she ever again?

Willow shook her head. Tonight was about facing up to the things that she had done. It was the first and biggest step that she could make. So, she stood up and stared up into the star filled night sky. She took in a deep breath and shouted as loudly as she could. "I, Willow Rosenberg, killed my own father."

The words seemed to echo throughout the night. Perhaps it was all in her mind, but it seemed reverberate throughout the entire country of England and made its way across the ocean to speak of her sins in America. It was good if it had. If she could not confess, then there was no point in all of the classes she was taking. Burying things was not going to make them go away.

"I, Willow Rosenberg, nearly killed my best friend." There were tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "I nearly flayed him alive. I nearly killed my wife! I nearly took my own children down the path of darkness. I wanted to kill my best friend, the slayer. And would have if I'd really gotten the chance. I took lives! I am a killer! There is a killer inside of me! I don't ever want it to get out again!"

With that, Willow collapsed to the ground. It was true what both Tara and Giles had said. Even though she felt guilty for what she had done and had nightmares about them, it was not the same as really admitting what she had done. She was not the innocent little girl that Giles had met in the library that day so long ago.

She was not that happy go lucky innocent young woman that Tara had met and fallen in love with. It was true that those were a part of her and always would be. But what little innocence that she had had after all her years of fighting evil were now gone forever. There was no getting that back once you lost it.

Willow cried for hours there underneath that willow tree. She cried until the sun was peaking over the edge of the horizon. She knew that it was very likely that she would never again be able to feel truly comfortable with herself. Knowing that she had caused so much pain was not going to be something that she could easily live with.

But there were more important things then that. After all, she had three beautiful reasons to get her life back on track. As Giles had said, she herself was reason enough. She was worth a second chance. Therefore, she would work harder then she ever had to become the person that she was supposed to be.

Just then, she heard a familiar voice. Giles was calling to her. She quickly wiped away her tears and composed herself. She jumped up and ran toward her mentor. He seemed excited. Something must be very wrong. Finally, she was standing before the watcher. "What is it Giles? Has something happened?"

"I'm afraid so." He put his arm around her shoulder and began guiding her toward the house. "What I knew was going to happen has happened. You and Tara are desperately needed back in Sunnydale. And before you argue that you aren't ready, you are. I've discussed it with Mrs. Muir. You've passed her class, my dear. She told me that you had the first day that you showed up. She was just glad that you decided to keep up with your exercises."

"OK." Willow looked up at Giles. "So, what exactly is the situation? Is there this new baddie that we are going to have to fight? And why is it that it has to be me and Tara that has to go back to Sunnydale?"

Giles paused for a moment. "It seems that The First has decided to let Its presence be known. I don't know if you remember, but The First is evil itself. It's what created evil. Through the years, there has always been a balance between good and evil. It seems that The First could not care less about that balance."

"Giles, quit stalling." They had made it back to the main house. Tara was standing on the porch with her bags and the babies. Willow noticed that her own bags were among them. "Just tell me what is going on. Please."

"Yes." Giles stood Willow next to Tara. "The First has unleashed what one might call an ubervamp. At least, that is what Buffy and the others have taken to calling it. It is unlike other vampires. It is merely predatory. It is nothing more then an animal but oh so difficult to kill. Also, The First is attacking the slayer line. There have been reports of potential slayers being assassinated. There was one that I was supposed to take back to Sunnydale. But Kennedy lost her life trying to save her watcher." Giles swallowed hard. "I'm not exactly sure how or when you two will be needed but Buffy and Faith will not be enough to defeat the first. Now, you two go ahead. I'll catch the next flight."

Willow and Tara stared at each other for a moment. It was Tara that ran the few feet between them and took her everything into her arms. It was the two of them holding on for dear life. It was the two of them knowing that there was a chance that either of them might not make it in this ultimate battle. Especially with Willow still fighting her own inner demons.


	90. Chapter 90

AN Sorry been so long. Trying to update more often, but no promises. Hope it's worth the wait. And I'm working on a new fanfic. So if you want, check out 'The Greatest Gift of All'. And to my everything, love you.

It was a trip that Willow had known she would have to take, sooner or later. She had just been hoping that it was later. Especially since there was the dire consequences happening once again in Sunnydale. There was one good thing about her return home. She had her everything once again sitting next to her.

Actually, the two young lovers were separated by their little ones. Luckily, both Alexander and Jenny were fast asleep. The time change had done a number on their sleep pattern. It was going to be hard to keep a schedule. Especially figuring that the usual hours of fighting evil would apply. That would mean a lot of all nighters.

Tara was also fast asleep. It must have taken a lot out of her as well to make the trip. Of course, she was now having to double back almost the same day that she had arrived. Hopefully it would not be too much on the young witch. Willow was worried about how everything was affecting her.

If she be true to herself, the redhead knew that Tara had been under so much stress and strain since she had been in England. Of course, having to battle her own wife had been no picnic either. And of course, one of the things that Willow felt so guilty about was the fact that she had left Tara to tend to the young twins on her own.

Willow sighed as she stared at her family. It was as if nothing had happened and yet everything had happened. It was amazing how things could happen and life could still go one. Their real first test of that had been Jesse. Losing him had been doubly shocking. It was how they had found out about all the things that go bump in the night.

The biggest test of all was dealing with Mrs. Summers' death. With Jesse, it was because some fiend had killed him. Someone was to blame for his death. But with Joyce, it had been so shocking. Granted, she had had the tumor. But she had been doing so well. She was returning to every day life. She had just gone out on a date. It was scary how life changed with the blink of an eye. It was more then that. It was downright terrifying.

For Willow, the greatest challenges in life were not necessarily death. No matter how it happened, death was inevitable. Everyone has a limited time on this earth. That can't be changed no matter how hard some people try to change that fact. It should teach us all that life has to be lived to the fullest and without regret.

The greatest challenges for Willow seemed to result from herself. There were times when she had lied. In doing so, it had cost her precious time with her loved ones. It had temporarily broken the two most important things in a relationship. Honesty and trust were not easy to come by. When one broke those bonds, it was so hard to repair.

If she had been honest with herself, she would have realized how the power inside of herself made her feel. It was intoxicating. It was like a drug. It made her think that she could do anything. It was scary how invincible that she could feel. That was part of the darkside. It made her believe that she could do whatever she wanted to do.

She now knew that there were limits to what she could do. Though most would say that she was now the most powerful being on the planet, she still had her limitations. Or she would place limitations upon herself. Losing control would not be the most pleasant thing in the world for her. And what the consequences would be scared her.

Like she was scared now. It was not even the fact that soon she would be called upon to perform magicks once again. Though that did give her some queasiness, with Tara by her side she knew that she would be all right. What she was so scared of was still facing everyone. How were they going to react when she walked into the magick shop?

Xander would actually be the easiest for her to imagine how he would react. Their friendship had endured so many obstacles. It had even withstood a thing called teenage lust. Though this was so much greater, she knew that the two of them just didn't work unless they were in each other's lives.

Faith was another that she could somewhat imagine. The two had never really been all that close. But she knew that the formerly rogue slayer could emphasize with her. It was not that long ago that Faith herself had been a killer. There was a time that they had fought against one another. And she knew that the slayer was still trying to repent all of her sins.

Spike was another one that could relate to what Willow was going through. Now that he had his soul back, he was tortured by all the things that his vampire side had done. She also knew that every day was a fight with that demon that still raged inside of him. If she really thought about it, the vampire had amazing self control.

Buffy was the real question mark. If it were still the Buffy that she had gone to school with, there would be no doubt in her mind. But this Buffy had seen a side of her that she had not thought was possible. Would she say, "I told you so!" Or would she stand back and see that she was a different Willow then the one that she had known.

The Buffy that she had known had never really truly crossed the line. There were times when she had done things that she was not proud of. But she had never totally crossed the thin line. Willow had practically marched with pride over that line. She had really gone way too far. Would the slayer be able to forgive her?

"Please return to your seats and buckle your safety belts. We are about to land in Los Angeles, California." The voice startled the young witch from her thoughts. Her breathing picked up a bit. The flight had flown by. It was not enough time to prepare. She really needed more time. How could she face her friends ever again?

"Relax." That familiar voice that she loved so much startled her. "I promise you that everyone is going to be happy to see you." Tara reached across the still sleeping twins and took Willow's hand in her own. She gave it a gentle squeeze. "You just have to be yourself and they will feel totally at ease with you."

Willow laughed nervously and held on to her strength tighter. "It's not going to be easy to act like myself. I'm not even sure who myself is anymore. I mean, I used to know. I was shy, book smart, computer whiz, good witch of the west girl. But now, I mean, I'm still all of those things. But there is something else about me. I have a dark side. One that I never thought that I would have anymore. It scares me something awful."

"It scares me too." Other passengers were already beginning to depart the plane. "It scares the rest of the scoobies. But that's natural. There's a part of each of us that scares us, that we are not too proud of. The thing is knowing and admitting that. If we know about it, we can learn to deal with it. Even if it takes more then other things to deal with."

The redhead smiled at the blond. "How did I get so lucky? I mean, not only are you the sexiest, most amazing woman there is alive, but you are also the wisest woman I know. I think you and Giles could have a showdown. In fact, I know that you two could have a showdown. You both make sense then I ever do."

"I wouldn't say that." Tara stood up and leaned down and gently kissed her wife upon the lips. "You are very smart as well. You have to remember something. You are a human being. And just like all humans, you can make mistakes. Even I've made mistakes. I should have been honest about my past from the beginning. But I was scared. There is a reason for everything that we do. It just might not always be a good one."

Just then, Alexander let it be known that he was now awake. Soon, his little sister was joining in the party. The young couple quickly gathered up all their carry ons. That meant the diaper bags and the two little ones. The rest of their luggage would have to be claimed at the turn style. That was always a joy, but when you had two little ones...

It didn't take them long to navigate the gigantic airport. They made one quick trip to take care of a the needs of their little ones. It was on to the jungle. That's how it had seemed on her previous flying experiences. This one was seemingly no different. There was quite the mill of people when they finally got to the luggage claim area.

Both stopped in their tracks as they both saw the sign at the same time. It was hiding the face behind it, but both instantly knew who was standing behind it. In bright yellow crayon were the simple words, "Mended: Broken Crayons." Tears were welling up in Willow's eyes in an instant. It was as if the sign had said, "I'll be there for you no matter what and forgive whatever you do. You are my best friend and always will be. Without you in my life, I'm so lost. I love you Willow Rosenberg."

The redhead took off. Tara struggled to keep up with her. With Alexander carefully held in her one hand, Willow wrapped her free arm around her best friend. "Xander, thank you." She pulled back and swallowed hard. She smiled shyly as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I figured you'd forgive me, but that was just amazing."

"I'd been trying to figure out what to do." Xander swallowed hard. It was clear that he was near tears as well. It was as if they had been apart for a lifetime. "Just saying I forgive you or even that I love you just wasn't good enough. You would wonder if I was just being polite. I knew you'd know this was coming straight from the heart."

"I've missed you." Again, Willow was embracing her oldest friend. "I've missed everyone so much. I know not a lot of bad guy activity was happening while I was gone. But I still missed out on a lot. I hear congratulations are in order."

"And presents." Anya walked from behind Xaner. "I'm told that there will be a wedding shower that will have presents. The actual wedding will require presents as well. I deserve that and so much more. I wish I could have presents now."

"Anya." Xander shook his head. "As you can see, not a lot around here has changed. Just the fact that I'm actually growing up and doing what you two crazy kids have already done. I'm going to get hitched. And I want you as my best man."

Again, tears formed in the corners of Willow's eyes. "That would be so cool! But it might have to wait. I hear tell that you've got a vampire that is nearly impossible to kill. And of course we have to deal with evil itself."

"Yeah." Xander sighed heavily. "Just glad that you two are back. We may have two experienced slayers fighting on our side, but the rest of the army is a bunch of terrified teenagers. All that know they are here because others like them are being killed all around the world."

"Scary." Willow shook her head. "Being the slayer used to be the dangerous gig. Now it's just the possibility that you might one day become one. Heard about one young slayer giving her life to save her watcher. That is a noble way to die. Yet, too young. Way too young."

"You can say that again." Everyone turned to see Buffy standing there. "Hope I'm not interrupting the reunion. I just thought that if my best friend in the world was coming back after being gone for a few months I should be here to welcome you. I hope you don't mind that I stowed away with Xander."

"Mind?" For what seemed like the millionth time that day, tears were forming in Willow's eyes. "I was wondering if you'd be able to forgive me. I hate to admit it, but I was wondering if you'd be here. Kinda scared that you wouldn't be."

Buffy came closer to her best friend. "I'll have to admit that I nearly didn't. It took a lot for me to realize something. Even though I had this best friend named Willow in my dimension, you are different then she is. I think that you two had a different support growing up. And definitely had different support when you got older. It makes all the difference in the world."

Willow couldn't stand it. She ran and gave her other best friend a big hug. "Thanks. I don't know if I'll ever truly deserve all the forgiveness you guys are giving me. But I the support that you are showing me will make all the difference in the world. We've got a long road ahead of us."

Buffy picked up several of the suitcases. "That's an understatement. Things have gotten worse since the last time that we spoke to Giles. Along with this ubervamp, we've come across this guy. He wears a priest's outfit. But he is no priest. He calls himself Caleb and definitely does the bidding of The First. He nearly killed a potential as she was trying to escape some of the bringers. She was sent with a message. The First is tired of playing games."

Willow shook her head. She took her free hand and took Tara's free hand in it. "Why do the baddies just seem to keep getting worse and worse. Not that I ever thought that things would be easy, but this is getting ridiculous."

They walked in silence the rest of the way to Xander's car. It was going to be a tight fit with the car seats, but they were all going to travel back together. There was a mostly silence except for a few little outbursts from the young ones. They were getting tired of being locked down in their car seats. Now that they were starting to tentatively walk, they were more and more active.

Xander slammed on his brakes and nearly skidded off the road. Willow looked around trying to figure out why he had stopped like he had. That was when she saw someone that she hadn't seen in quite awhile. In fact, the last time had been in one of her dreams. It was not a good sign when you were seeing dead people.

All of them got out. Willow and Tara stood at the front of the car and joined hands. In an instant, a barrier was formed around everyone. "There's no need for that." The thing that looked like Jenny Calendar meandered toward them. "I'm not here to hurt anyone. Not even my namesake. Well, not just yet anyways."

"Watch it!" Willow tightened her grip on Tara. Partially it was to strengthen the barrier. But it was also so that she could garner a bit of strength to keep her control. The First was clearly pushing her buttons. She just had to keep that which she had fought so hard to regain.

"And what are you going to do about it?" The figure walked right through the barrier. It walked up to Willow and Tara. It put its hand through both of them. "You see, I have no body for either of you to do anything to." It turned to Buffy. "And nothing for you to do what you do so well. Death really is your gift. It certainly was for me."

"What do you want?" Buffy came and stood in front of Willow and Tara. She might not be able to protect them but it was better that she was in harm's way then the two witches. "Are you here to bore us to death? Keep talking and you just might."

"Always have had a mouth on you." Miss Calendar shook her head. "I'm surprised that it hasn't gotten you in trouble before. Well, in fact it has. But I digress. It's time to get down to why I'm here. This is a warning. Either get out of Sunnydale or you and all the other potentials will suffer. You will all die." With that, the figure disappeared. It left them all wondering if that was really what The First really wanted or was it just a scare tactic. They would all find out soon enough.


	91. 91

AN Sorry been so tardy in updates. Hope those who read before are still enjoying. No good excuses why lack of updates. And to my one true love, always forever you and me.

The preacher that Buffy had described to Willow now paced deep beneath the surface of Sunnydale. He was a strong man capable of many things. And yet, it chose to serve the ultimate evil. Why was it this man had forsaken everything, including his own kind? One may never know what drives some people to madness.

In his mind, it was clarity. It had been many years since he had given himself over to this thing that called itself The First. Before that, he had been confused by a faith that didn't seem to give him or many others comfort. In fact, he now knew what his sole purpose in life was. That was to sacrifice everything for the good of evil.

Finding a purpose in life gave one focus. It gave one peace of mind. And when one knew they were fighting on the winning side, it was that much more of a savory life. The preacher was very fortunate to have found his calling. He had found it once before, or so he had thought. This time it was for real.

The man was pacing because he was impatient. It was not because he believed that he was on the losing end. Or that he did not believe in what he was doing. No. It was because he wanted to start now. Only he knew that everything had it's time. This was not the time for the battle. This was the time for preparation.

That meant getting the scythe out of the rock. There was a legend that long ago the weapon had been forged. It had been forged so that the holder of it would be unstoppable. The one that was to wield it was to be stronger then those around them as well as be sure of their way in life. He was certain that pertained to him, thanks to the power that was given to him from The First. A never ending supply that made him even stronger then a slayer.

Caleb was the name given to him by his father. But that man was a mere mortal. The flesh was so weak. It was when he was seven that he realized this fact. His father had also been a preacher man. Only his faith had allowed those that are holy to marry. Unlike the faith that he had found. And now with the faith that he had. His father had not been true to his mother. It had been a dirty girl that had flaunted herself and turned his father to sin.

It was that all girls are dirty and need to be punished. The fact that the slayer line had this strength was irrelevant. The fact that they were just like any other woman made them dirty. In fact, that strength only heightened that need. It was time to punish all the dirty girls. He would punish them himself if he had to.

"No." The familiar voice startled him from his thoughts. "It is not time. And I do not wish you to be the one. You will be here when the final battle commences. But I have a special assignment for you. You are to take care of the ones that are even stronger then the slayers. They are the ones that will decide things."

Caleb bowed down to the image that he was now so used to. It did not make sense to him that The First could take on any dead person but it chose to continually to come to him as her. The chosen one. The dirty girl. "And who just might that be?" The preacher wanted to know when he was going to finally get what had been promised to him.

"It is true that the slayers have this power. But it is mostly just strength that they have." The image that looked like Buffy made its way closer to the preacher. "But it is more true that there is a more powerful thing then just mere strength. One thing can undo everything that I have worked so hard on the past few years. You must take care of the two. There is a blond and a redhead. They both possess a power. Neither of them truly know their potential. The redhead nearly came to the side of evil. It's a shame that she did not fully give herself."

"Again, and not to be disrespectful, but what is so special about this power that they possess?" Caleb bowed his head in reverence. The fact that he was questioning his master was enough to get him killed. Although, he thought that they had a special bond that none of the other of the followers possessed. But would that be enough to keep him alive should The First deem him to be getting to much in the way?

"It's simple." The image of Buffy made its way to Caleb. Though noncorporal, it lovingly stroked the preacher's face. "You see, there is one thing in the world that is even more powerful then I. It is the thing that the two are so adept at. It's called magick. Most scoff at its very existence. But it is real. And it can either be my becoming or my undoing. So, I suggest that you take a party of our friends to meet them. I already welcomed them. But they know that my words cannot be trusted."

"Should I dispose of them right away?" Caleb had a gleam in his eye at the thought of being able to do bodily harm to the two witches. "Wouldn't it be better to destroy them right away?" There were too many times that Caleb had witness those give up their superior hand just to make themselves feel grander.

"No." Buffy turned from the preacher. "I will be the one to dispose of them. Besides, they have two little ones. If I can get all four in one place, then the four most powerful beings that have ever existed will be in my grasp. I will control them. And I will destroy them if they do not do as I wish. Now, go. I have some business of my own to take care of."

Caleb bowed as he left the cavern. The First shifted from that of Buffy to the Mayor. It was time to pay the weaker of the two slayers a visit. It was not that she was physically weaker then her fellow slayer, it was that her mind was weaker. And the easiest thing in the world is to prey upon a weak minded person.

* * *

Faith sat upon the dryer down in the basement of the Summers' house. It had become scooby central and the training ground for all those potential slayers. There were only about a dozen at the moment. But Giles and the watcher's council had every available operative looking for more to send their way.

That was all they needed. The formerly rogue slayer knew how fragile their minds were. Most never even had a watcher. They were being put in this impossible situation. It was one that she had been in before. Because of her ill preparedness, her watcher had died right in front of her eyes. Had she listened to her better...

One could not dwell on the past. Only to learn from what mistakes one had made. One had to move on and become a better person. One had to keep fighting even when the battle looked like it was over. There were many times when she had given up. Being the one that teamed with The Mayor showed just how weak she could be.

But she had learned, hadn't she? That was why she was down in the basement all alone. About the only one that even came close to knowing how she felt was Willow. The witch had gone to hell and back. But she had support. She had always had someone there to help her through all the times, good and bad. The slayer never had.

That wasn't entirely true. She had had support when she had come to Sunnydale. She was just to stupid to see it. It wasn't a competition between her and Buffy. It was a gift that there were two slayers that could back one another up. It was a first in the history of the slayer line. From talk from some of the demons she had encountered as of late, that was the reason that The First was able to now be able to take control. There was too great a balance toward good.

The slayer sighed heavily as she hopped down off the dryer. There was no use in sulking around. There was way to much to be done. And there were so little trained people to do it. And too little time, she feared. But then, a lot was making her afraid these days. Would that be what killed her in battle?

"If you keep thinking negatively, it will hurt you." Faith whirled around to see a face that she never thought she would again. He looked exactly the same as the last time she had left his office. It had been when she had gone after Buffy and ended up in a coma. "You missed my last days. I have to say I'm a little disappointed in that."

"You aren't him." Faith started for the steps. Something made her turn and face her former boss. "Why are you here? Are you just out to get your jollies seeing that none of your lackies can touch Buffy or me?"

"Now, Faith." The Mayor shook his head sadly. "You know me better then that. I just felt that you were doubting yourself. No slayer of mine should feel that way. In fact, I think you should be the one that is in charge, not Buffy."

"What?" Faith shook her head as if to make clear what she had just heard. She had never even thought of being in charge. It always felt like it should be Buffy. She was the more experienced slayer. Plus, she had Giles and the rest of the scoobies on her side. "That's not a possibility."

"It is." The Mayor again shook his head sadly. "What happened to my girl? The one that was so full of vinegar." The figure took a few steps toward the slayer causing her to turn toward the entrance. "You never really needed for me to tell you what to do. You just knew in your heart what needed to be done. And now, you are questioning your very existence. So unlike my Faith."

"That's because I'm not your Faith." The slayer understood what The First had been trying to do. Though it didn't sound like it, it was trying to get her to doubt herself. Probably make her think that she had sunk from where she had once been. It was true that she no longer called the shots. But she was on the side of good and that was all that mattered. "I'm where I belong. I'm here because these people believe in me. And that's all I need." The slayer had heard enough. She slowly made her way to the door.

Before she opened it, The Mayor called after her. "Are you sure about that? Are you really sure you are where you belong? There are so many places that need a slayer right now. There are other hellmouths. You could fight the battles there. You could be the one to lead. Just like you were always meant to be."

Faith did not answer. Instead she opened the door and made her way as fast as she could to The Magic Box. She knew that Willow and Tara would be there. Hopefully Buffy and the others would be as well. It was time that she got some things straight with them. They needed to know their place as she now did hers.

* * *

Willow sat alone in the basement of The Magic Box. She was study a passage that Giles had found and had faxed over to them. He was still on his way back from England. There were several potentials he was stopping to get on his way back. He only hoped that it was in time. Too many of the potentials were being slaughtered. The redhead wondered if they were really the targets or merely a distraction.

She had yet to share this theory with anyone. Even her beloved Tara she was keeping in the dark. It was not because she did not trust anyone or believe that they could help. It was because her fear of being wrong was completely taking over. Or was it the fear that she was right and she would lose her control trying to stop the unthinkable?

When she had first heard of all of the potentials losing their lives, she thought that was the unthinkable. In a way, these poor young woman were meeting their destiny early. Even her best friend Buffy had succumbed to the destiny and gift of every slayer. That was death itself. How many times had the slayer actually given her life and yet lived. She was one of the lucky ones, that was for sure.

There was another kind of warrior in this fight. It had taken her all this time to heal and to go through what she had to realize why it had happened. It wasn't something that came to her overnight, but had been there in the corners of her mind. She was finally putting it all together because she was back with the people that she loved. Most importantly, she had her family back. They were going to be key to defeating The First.

Somehow, the watcher's council had come across the very first ever entry by a watcher. Most records before the eleven hundreds had thought to be lost. There had been rumors and innuendo of what they had contained. Before written records were oral ones. There was so much lost before the written word. Now, there was something that the witch thought would be crucial in the biggest battle they had ever faced.

The drawing was of an ancient weapon that looked much like an axe. From the look of it, she was sure it was so much more. Probably a scythe. There was said to be mystical forces in every scythe that was ever forged. The information that she had said something very important. It told tale of a scythe that was specifically forged for a slayer by a very powerful shaman. In it was all the power of a slayer.

There was this idea that was forming in her head. Every time that she read the passage, she was sure that her instincts were right. The only problem she had with it was the control. Granted Giles had told her that she had passed the course with flying colors. Granted she would have Tara by her side. But what if?

What if this great power that she had within her could not stand the added power of the slayers? What if what she thought was possible would not happen? What if it turned her rogue and for no good reason? Or she turned rogue at the expense of what she thought could happen? There were too many what ifs for her liking.

The thoughts swirled in her head as she felt someone enter the basement. The force that she could feel within her best friend told her that it was the slayer. Willow hid the information in one of the boxes. Buffy came into sight just as she turned back around. The slayer smiled at her best friend. "Thought you could use some help."

"Just a lot going on in my head." Willow slowly approached her friend. Something did not feel right about her. "I think I have a way to defeat The First. But I'd like to talk it over with Giles first. Has anyone heard from him yet?" Buffy shook her head no. "That's strange. He was supposed to get here hours ago."

"Probably had more potentials to deal with then he originally thought. That's all. You know Giles and how he hates to be late." The slayer was now within reach of the witch. "You sure you don't want to share any details with me? I'd like to help if I could."

"I know." Willow pulled back. There was something that she felt just wasn't right. "I just will feel better when I get to talk to Giles. Though I'm almost certain that I'm right, I just want to talk with him. He's always the one that has had the answers."

"You're right." Buffy smiled big. "Thanks. I was wondering what I might do next. Playing with weak minds is one thing. Now, I have a course of action. I appreciate it witch. And you know, it'll be your undoing."

Willow stared after the flash of light. If only she had followed her instincts. She should have know it wasn't Buffy. True, the Buffy she had now wasn't the one that she had known since they were freshmen. But still, she should have seen through that facade. Now, what had she done? What had The First learned. Only time would tell. Too little time.


	92. Chapter 92

AN Want thank you all for the reviews. Whether just telling me how you like it or giving me suggestions, they help me keep it going. Hope you enjoy where I go with this. Again, big thanks.

Spike had felt out of place for a while now. It wasn't exactly since he managed to get his soul back. But it was around that time. Before, when it was only the chip, helping the slayer had just been a way to use violence and to keep her from finishing him off. And then, he had fallen for her. It was crazy. Now, he wanted to be good and help in any way he could. He just couldn't see how that was.

Buffy and Faith seemed to have the training of the potentials under control. Neither had asked for his help as of yet. Willow had Tara to help her through everything. Xander and Any were doing what they could. It just seemed that he was a fighter with no one to fight along side of him. He was beginning to wonder why he was here.

Perhaps it would have been if Buffy had staked him after he had gotten the chip in his head. It definitely would have been better once he had realized that he was in love with her. There was no one right now in the slayer's live. But that did not open up doors for him. Perhaps that was because of her past with Angel. Perhaps it was because love between a vampire and a slayer simply wasn't right.

Whatever the reason, this Buffy would never trust him. It had taken her a long time to trust Willow again. In her time, he had never gotten a chip and never had fought along side of her. There was no connection. All there was was pure hatred. Not that he could blame her. It was only natural. Although she had still loved Angel in her time.

The vampires head was starting to ache almost as bad as every time that bloody chip had gone off in his head. Trying to figure out ones place in the world was not the easiest thing in the world. Nor was trying to figure if one should act upon love or to let it go. And of course, there was this big battle looming over everyone.

The vampire paced back and forth in his crypt. The light of day was beating down steadily on the earth. He could not even go and fight some weak demon to help him clear his mind. He was trapped like a rat. It was a feeling that he did not like very much. All he wanted to do was to fight along side Buffy and to possibly be allowed into her life.

"That won't happen." Spike turned around quickly to see Angel standing before him. "You know that they way things went between the slayer and me goofed it up for you. She'll never trust you. She barely trusted Riley after me. And look how that turned out. It was just another guy ending up keeping things from her and then hurting her badly."

"I'm not you." Spike stood up straighter. "And I'm sure as bloody hell not like Riley. He was a good two shoes. He didn't have any real strength. All it was those government types feeding him drugs. He was simply the rebound guy."

"And you're not?" Angel shook his head sadly. "How long as it been now? She's been from this dimension for how long now? Even if you were the nastiest demon around, you'd think if there was a chance between you two that she would have come around by now. She's now best buds with the witch again. Doesn't that tell you anything?"

"Tells me there's still a chance." Spike looked closely at his former friend. "Now why don't you tell me how you got in here in the middle of the day? Granted there is one way in and out without having to reach the surface. But the entrance is in a place you wouldn't have come from. So, who are you really?"

Angel shrugged and smiled big. "You're bright. I'll give you that. Most of your kind is too stupid to see through me. Humans are even stupider. After all, the witch has slipped up. So has the other slayer. What are you going to do now? Do you really think that there is a place here for you? You are a vampire, plain and simple. No one trusts you. So why are you here?"

Spike smirked at the thing he now knew as The First. "Good question. Let's say you and I take a little walk. Then maybe the two of us can come to some kind of understanding. If that bitch hasn't loved me by now, she never will. I might as well get rid of her so that I can move on with my life."

"Very well." Angel smiled big. "It's nice to have you on the team. You're exactly what I was looking for. And I have your first assignment. I need you to kill Giles for me."

The vampire hoped that he hid his surprise well. How was he going to go about killing the watcher? The man was one of the few that now trusted him. But that trust could be used against him. "It'll take a day or two. But it'll get done."

"Good." Angel disappeared without another word.

* * *

Giles had just arrived with the potentials. Willow and Tara had left The Magic Box to get the little ones settled back in their apartment. For the time being the two witches felt that it was best that they not be overwhelmed with all the teenagers running around. Luckily, the apartment was not that far, just a phone call away.

The now thirty two potentials and the two real slayers, along with Giles, were gathered in the back room. For those that had been there, this was something they'd already gone through. It was time to let the young ladies in on what was exactly going on. All that most knew was that their lives were in danger. Most did not know why or what they were capable of becoming, only a lucky handful that had had watchers already.

"Now then." All sets of eyes were on Giles. "You've been brought here as you know because your lives are in danger. I'm terribly sorry that I could not of been more specific before coming her. Time is of the essence at the moment. Some of you know Buffy and Faith. For those of you don't, they are going to show you a demonstration of what you could some day be capable of. What a few chosen have been capable for centuries now."

Without a word, Buffy and Faith went to work. They simply did a routine work out. But it would not be considered routine for most people. They used the dummy and showed how to stake a vampire in the heart. They then put on a dueling demonstration with swords as well as with axes. Most of the potentials were impressed.

"You see, we're the chosen ones at the moment." Buffy stood in front of the group. "I'm supposed to be the only one but when you're the chosen one, death is one thing that comes at an early age. Technically I died when I was sixteen. I was lucky in that someone was there to revive me. Now there is Faith and me. We are vampire slayers. You lucky ladies are what we call potentials. In other words, you were all born with the natural abilities that we just showed you."

"That's right." Faith took over. "Some of you will have better natural abilities then others. But all of you must start training. Even if you never become the slayer, you must be prepared. I thought I was and I didn't handle things very well. But that's a story for another day. Just listen to B. She's been doing this for a long time, especially in slayer years. She knows what she's doing. So does Giles. A good watcher is what makes a good slayer."

"Thank you Faith." Giles came and stood in front of the group. There were murmurs throughout the confused group. "I know this is shocking to say the least and a quite a bit to take in. But I assure you that we are not crazy people. We are here because something has decided that it is time to end the slayer line for good. That means that It is systematically disposing of potentials one by one. A few of you were with me when we discovered some of the less fortunate ones. That's why it's imperative for you to believe what we are telling you and be willing to prepare and not stop preparing. We are heading for the biggest battle in history."

"Why wait till then?" Spike surprised the room. "I see that I've gone forgotten once again. That's too bad for you all. I was willin' to help you all out with your lil problem. But you've gone and pissed of a vampire. Granted, a vampire with a soul. But did you ever really think about the person I was before I was turned? Not that it matters. You see, Giles, you are coming with me."

Before Buffy and Faith could react, Spike had a tight hold on Giles. There was an influx of Bringers at the exact same moment. It was Faith that managed to react first. "Weapons girls! No time to learn just do your best." She began handing out swords, axes, stakes, whatever was handy. As the melee continued, Spike and Giles managed to disappear. It left a group of inexperienced potentials fighting for their lives.

* * *

The apartment was exactly how Willow remembered it. Tara had taken good care of it and the kids while she was away. Not that she had expected any different. It was just weird to see it exactly the same, not having changed a bit. It seemed that everything else had changed. Though her friends tried to tell her she was the same person, she could never be.

What was worse was that she was now keeping things from Tara. Part of it was fear. She feared that she was going to have to perform this big time spell. Even with her everything by her side, she was still terrified of all of the things that could happen. Being one of the most powerful beings on the planet was terrifying in itself.

The redhead was standing outside the nursery. She watched as her little ones slept soundly. It was clear to see that they had missed their home. As much as they had wanted to see their momma, they had also missed being back in their little apartment. Having a routine was a good thing for twins. Getting out of that routine was bad.

The witch felt familiar arms wrapping around her. It was the thing that she had missed most about being in England. True, she had missed her children so much that it hurt. But not being able to touch her everything had made it hard to breath. It was like Tara was her oxygen. It was essential that they were together in every single way possible.

Carefully, Willow closed the door almost all the way. She took Tara's hand in her own and lead her to the patio. Her girl had already prepared a soothing cup of tea. Since they had been back almost a week, this was the first real time that they had gotten to spend together. Hopefully it wouldn't be the last. Both witches knew there would not be a whole lot of alone time to be found.

The moon was peeking out from behind a grey covering of clouds. Very few stars were twinkling in the night. It was already getting cooler. The nights of Autumn were fully upon them. It would add to the fun of the impending battle. But tonight was not about the future showdown. Tonight was about getting to just be with one another.

Tara was the first one to break the comfortable silence that was between the two. What she said, surprised Willow a great deal. "You're holding back from me." Willow looked at her girl not quite sure what she was talking about. "You forget that we know each other inside and out. All the time you've been spending alone in the basement of The Magic Box was a big clue. I just figured that you would share when you were ready."

Willow swallowed hard. It was not that she did not want to tell Tara. It was going back to the fact that she was scared at all the possibilities. What if she could not be the person that everyone expected her to be? "It's just something Giles sent to me. It might be nothing. It might be the key to the battle. I won't know for sure until I get to talk to him. Didn't have much of a chance tonight with all those newbies running around."

"Is it really that?" Tara took Willow's hand in her own. "Ever since we got back from England I feel that you've closed a part of yourself off to me. It's like you don't want me to know you anymore. At least, not a part of you that you are ashamed of. Or is that if I know this part of you that I will know exactly how much power you have?"

"I trust you with everything." The redhead swallowed hard. This was not how she had wanted this night to go. With Giles being back, the two of them would be studying the information he'd found and possibly forming a spell. "It's just that this is big. What I'm getting from Giles is that it's not the slayers that The First is really after. Sure, eliminating them is a happy side affect. But what It's really after is getting me."

"And you've kept this a secret why?" Tara squeezed her girl's hand. "Is it that you think I won't understand? Or is it that you think I'll be jealous of all this power that you have? All I want is for you to be honest with me. I think that was part of the reason that you went all evil on us. You weren't as honest about the power you had inside of yourself, not even to yourself. You have to tell me these things."

"In my defense, I didn't realize how much power I had." Willow stood up and started to pace back and forth. "Do you know how many nights I've laid awake remembering the things that I've done? The things that I didn't do? If I had come to you in the first place I might not have gone down the path that I did. It's not like I'm doing that now. I am going to talk to Giles about this. He's the one that knows about these things."

"I'm not talking about you telling me about this big spell or even the fact that The First is after you, although that would be nice considering our two children." Tara stood up and made Willow look at her. "What I'm talking about is you talking to me about how it's making you feel. You know even better then I do that your emotions are key to doing a spell. If you have fear or doubt or anything like that it could very well effect it in a big way."

"I do know that." Willow was nearing tears. She wasn't sure where this was coming from. Perhaps Tara was more afraid of her then she was letting on. "Is this really about me not sharing? Or is this about you being afraid of me. I mean, I am the big bad evil Willow. I was the one that let the power go to my head. I'm the one that almost destroyed everything we've worked so hard to get, including our children. Isn't that what this is about?"

"You know me better then that." Tara was surprised when Willow turned her back on her. "All I'm worried about is you. You were always the strong one. When we first met, you were the one that got me to believe in myself. You were the one that stood up to my father. You were the one that stood up to Oz. I just want you to know that you don't have to be the strong one. I can be the strong one, if you need me to be."

Willow turned back around. "I'm sure you would like to be the strong one. You are jealous of all of the power that I have. You don't know what it's like to have all of this power. I'm not strong. I'm weak. I give in to that power so easily. And I'm afraid that I'll do it again. So if you want to be the one with the power, go ahead. I never asked for it. But I'm the one that got it. Talk about something to be happy about."

"I really didn't mean it like that." Tara tried to put her hand on Willow's shoulder who pulled back. "Honestly, all I want is for us to be partners again. I want us to share everything like we once did. I want to be there for you through the good and bad. And to do that, I need you to be able to open up to me."

"I just did." Willow walked off. That was when the phone rang. It was Buffy on the other end. The witch's night got so much better. Two of the potentials were seriously injured. They would need her healing spell. And to top it off, Giles was taken and by Spike. Things just couldn't get any worse, now could they?


	93. Chapter 93

AN Thanks for the reviews. Makes me want to write more. Hope you still enjoy this after all this time. To my sweet, I love you more then I did when we first met.

Willow was trying to keep her mind on her task at hand. Working a spell when her emotions were as haywire as they were now was not a good thing. But there was only Tara and herself to perform even the smallest of spells. The coven was busy locating spells and researching exactly what it was that Giles had discovered.

When one loves someone as much as she does Tara, fighting with them is like having a piece of you missing. It's like someone came along and tore your heart out. There was only one way that she would be able to get back to feeling whole. That would take a bit of doing. The two had not argued much in their relationship. But when they had, it had been the worst times of her young life.

Of course, now she was still dealing with the consequences of going all evil. One thing that she still regretted was the fact that she killed her own father. Her adopted father had been good to her. He was not a loving father, but he was never unkind to her or expected too much from her. It would have been nice to get to know the man that was her real father.

But in anger and stupidity, that chance had been blown out of the water. Once you do some things, there is never going back. Even with magick, there are some things that cannot be undone. That is why one has to be so careful when performing any kind of spell. The consequences may far outweigh what is gained.

The potential that she was treating remind her a bit of herself when she was that age. It was only seven years ago that she herself was a fourteen year old that was trying to survive the ravages that are high school. From what both Buffy and Faith had told her, the youngster seemed to have the most ability of any of the other potentials. But she lacked the self esteem to believe that she could be better then anyone at anything.

How far Willow had come from that. It was now not her self esteem that was her worst enemy. It was the fact that she could not trust herself with the power that she had. When it came to people and her friends, she knew where she stood. But in the bigger picture, she was unsure where she exactly stood. It made her crazy, to say the least.

Sam was a girl from a small town such as Sunnydale as well. There was something about this potential slayer that had captured Willow. There was something very familiar about her, that was for sure. She was blond and blue eyed and was so shy that you could barely hear her when she spoke. Though Buffy and Faith were better suited to be her mentor, Willow decided to take her under her wing. Perhaps that would be the focus that she herself needed.

"You wounds were actually minor." Willow began putting away the medical supplies. "From what Buffy and Faith told me, you were one of the best fighters out there. Did you have any formal training before you came here?"

The younger girl got a look of extreme fear on her face. As she spoke in a voice that was barely audible, Sam kept her gaze in her hands that were folded in her lap. "No. I've never been in a fight before. I hope I wasn't the one that let Mr. Giles get away."

"Don't be silly." Willow kneeled down so that she could look into the youngsters eyes. "There were two trained slayers here. And, from what I gather, too many Bringers to count. Even had you been trained there was no way that anyone could have saved Giles. But we will find him and get him back. I promise you that."

Sam finally looked Willow in the eyes. "Good. You see, I was the first that Mr. Giles found. I've been with him since he found me in England. I am American, but my parents took me there and left me there. It was amazing when this man came up to me and said that he was going to take me back to America."

"I bet." Willow shook her head. "I'm a mother and I can't see how anyone could do that to a child. Though my little ones are still in diapers, I wouldn't give them up for anything in the world. Are you sure they did it on purpose?" Sam hung her head and nodded yes. "All right. I'll tell you what. Until Giles gets back, you can count on me. If you need anything, call me. Buffy knows how to get a hold of me. Now, I have a few more of you to heal. Are you sure you'll be all right?"

"I will now." Sam smiled up at the older woman.

Willow smiled back. The conversation had taken her mind off from what had happened with Tara the pervious night. But her mind would not let her forget what had happened. It hurt so much to even breathe at the moment. She just wished that she could see Tara. She wished that she could just put her arms around her and hold her all night long.

But Tara was with Alexander and Jenny at Buffy's house. A few of the potentials had been taken there. Not that they wanted to breakup the few troops that they had, but it was easier at the moment. There were so many teenagers running around and so little space at the Magic Box. Anya was still trying to run a shop even with all the chaos going on.

The redhead quickly finished up with the rest of the potentials. The worst had been taken to Buffy's house. She watched as they all huddled together not exactly sure what to expect next. She could understand how they were feeling. She remembered the first time that she had come across a vampire. It was so surreal. But it had happened and she had to deal with it. These young potentials would have to find a way as well.

With all the wounded taken care of, it was now time to concentrate on something else that would hopefully take her mind off from how much her whole body hurt just from the withdrawal of not having her everything around her. It was time to figure out how to get Giles back. There was also the little problem of how to deal with Spike. That would be no easy task.

Faith and Xander were at Buffy's helping there and keeping the potentials calm. Buffy and Anya were with her at the shop. It made for strange pairing, that was for sure. The witch hid herself out of sight in the basement. It was not that she did not want to talk to the others but she felt that it was best that she kept from everyone. With her emotions on high, who knew what she was going to happen when she tried the locator spell.

Willow made all the preparations for the spell. She tried to calm herself so that she was totally focused on the task at hand. Finally, she closed her eyes and began. The map of Sunnydale lit up a little spot. That had to be the place that Giles was at. She could tell that Spike was there as well along with a few other vampires.

The witch swallowed hard. She knew that Buffy and Faith would be better suited with the physical fight that was sure to ensue while trying to rescue Giles, but there was something telling her that it must be her that went. Whether that was because she did not want to let Giles down again or if it was something else, she was not sure.

The witch packed up a bag of goodies containing a few ingredients for a spell, some wooden stakes, and holy water. Though she was not sure what she was going to do when she got there, something told her this was her fight. After all, Giles had been a lot like a father for her. He had shown her more affection then her adopted father ever had.

On her way to where the crypt that Spike had Giles captive in, she stopped at the Summers' house. From the front porch, she watched as her very breath helped the potentials to heal. She watched as her two babies called for their mother and she took them into her arms. She watched as Tara lived without her. And it made her heart ache even more then she thought was possible. Even when she thought she would never see her children again.

* * *

Tara thought that she could sense something. But when she turned to look at the window, there was no one standing there. With a toddler under each arm, she made her way over to the door. It was no easy task, but she managed to open it. Again, there was no one out there. But there was a familiar feeling. There was a familiar scent in the air. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that Willow was standing on the porch watching her.

Since no one had heard from either her witch or Buffy, she assumed that they were still cleaning up the mess left by the Bringers and forming a plan to get Giles back. How she wished that Willow would call her. Every time that she took a breath, there was this sharp pain stinging her chest. It was like tiny needles poking at her hear that already ached so much.

Her emotions were raw at the moment. Watching over the twins helped a little as well as helping to take care of the wounded. The were fortunate that none had lost their lives. One girl had nearly lost her arm, but Tara had managed to heal it enough to where it would be all right in a few weeks.

Unfortunately, they did not have a few weeks. The First was going to makes it move and now. That was part of the reason that It had taken Giles. She also knew that he had been taken because he was the one with the most knowledge of any of them. Though the watcher's council had yet to reinstate him, they were being cooperative now that things were so dire.

The witch closed the door and made her way to the spare room. It was the room that was used for storage but with so many potentials, they had moved most of the boxes so that there was room for the baby's playpen or a bed once she went back to the apartment. Now that Giles was gone, she was not sure when that would happen.

The events of the prior night had kept flashing through her mind. Every jab and every barb that each made to the other was like a knife cutting into her flesh. It made her bleed inside to think that the two that were so in love and so close could talk to one another like that. It made even simply breathing so difficult.

There was a time when another person would not have meant so much to her. The way that her family had treated her growing up had made her not trust others. For her to go up to Willow the way that she had took everything that she had. It was not an easy decision to say the least. And to have volunteered to be away from Willow now was not easy. She had even felt that she had sensed her just a few minutes before.

As she settled the little ones in for the night, her mind flashed to the one person that she had cared about more then anything. But that person had been lost to her at an early age. Her little sister had been born prematurely and had only lived for a few months. It had been years since she had thought about her.

With the world possibly about to end, it only made sense that she would think of her now. With the turmoil between she and her witch going on, thinking of ones family made sense. The fact that she was holding her babies so tightly also made it make sense. If only her sister had lived then she might have had something to live for when she was younger.

She remembered the day well when her mother had been in the hospital and holding her little sister. The youngster had blond hair as she did and the bluest eyes she had ever seen. She was only seven years old at the time but remembered every detail like it was happening yesterday. What hurt most was remembering the moment when she was told that her sister was gone. But it was funny to her how she felt that she was still alive. In fact, to this day, she still could sense her little sister.

Sighing heavily, she covered her little ones up. The air was getting cooler now and she did not want them to get a chill. It was enough that they were being kept from the only home that they had known. What was even harder to take was that once again their mother was being taken away from them.

Willow had made it clear that she wanted to take a break for a little bit. It was not that either of them had lost the love that they felt. It was the fact that so much had happened in so little time that neither had really dealt with it. While Willow was in England, Tara had tried not to deal with it. All she did was take care of the twins and help the scoobies when she could.

She knew that Willow had been preoccupied with just dealing with being alive. After all the pain and hurt that she had cause, she had to learn to live with herself. Of course, there was the fact that her everything had also had to deal with her powers. Tara was not so sure how she would have dealt with all that her witch had been through.

One thought that was staying on her mind, among many, was what if this argument that they had had would be what pushed Willow over the edge. Tara knew deep down in her heart that Willow was strong enough to handle almost anything. But everyone has their breaking point as Willow so easily proved not so long ago. Was the breaking point even weaker now that she had gone through so much? Or was she now stronger then she had ever been?

As quietly as she could, Tara closed the door and made her way down to the living room. There were about twenty potentials strewn about the room in sleeping bags. It was not quite evening, but they were so exhausted from their battle and running on pure adrenaline the past few days that most were sound asleep. Those that weren't seemed to be eating them out of house and home. But it was all nerves, the witch knew.

Tara continued on to the kitchen where she found Xander at the stove. He was heating up a pot of water for some tea. Her turned to see the witch as she made her way in and stood at the sink and looked out the back window. "Peaceful isn't it?" Tara turned and looked at him. "It always looks and feels so peaceful. And yet, we both know that it never is when one lives on a hellmouth."

The witch smiled sadly. "I don't think life is truly peaceful anywhere. We live in a society that always seems to be in such a hurry. Those are the ones that are lucky that they only have to worry about every day life. When you throw in vampires, demons, and the ultimate evil it gets a bit too much to take."

Xander came over and stood in front of the witch. "I don't want to pry, but Willow's my best friend and has been for a long time. I consider you a friend, too. It seemed earlier that things were a little tense between the two of you. Is there anything you need to talk about? I've got a good ear and a good shoulder if you need someone to listen or need to cry."

Tara's sad smile faded quickly. "It's just that I think the two of us haven't exactly sat down and talked about certain things since she's been back. All our conversations while she was in England were tentative. Even when I was there, things were so that we didn't talk about the things that we should. And now, we're trying to fight this big evil."

"Life has such lousy timing." Xander wrapped his arm around the witch. "I kinda know what you mean. We take for granted that the person we love will always be there for us. In a blink of an eye, they could be gone. We have to live life to the fullest. But we also have to take the time to really talk to one another."

"Exactly." The phone rang interrupting their conversation. "When we have more time, I'd like to talk some more." Xander smiled at the witch as she answered the phone. He knew that something was wrong when she paled considerably. "Willow's gone. There was evidence of a spell done in the basement but no one has seen her since. We've got to find her."

"We will" Xander pulled the witch into another hug. "You know that I would give my life for her. One way or another, we'll find her and Giles."


	94. Chapter 94

AN Thanks for the reviews. Hope you like the latest chapter. Have a couple ideas where to go once The First is taken care of. But of course, never for good.

Willow was having trouble following her own spell. That told her that someone with a bit of power was trying to intervene. Or that it could be her powers were still a little off from her emotional sate. Either way, finding the right crypt was proving to be more difficult then she had at first anticipated.

The witch was wondering why Spike had chosen to help evil once again. Before, it was just the fear of the pain of the chip going of. But now, he had his soul back. Granted, human beings with souls can be evil beings. But usually having ones soul lead to the path of good. And she was now back to herself once again.

Sighing heavily, she once again did the spell. It still told her that the crypt should be right in front of her. All she could see was vacant lot surrounded by the cemetery. Of course, it could be that someone wanted her to see a vacant lot. This must be the place. Now she just had to find the opening to the crypt.

Carefully, the redhead made her way toward the vacant lot. She kept her right hand extended trying to sense for something. It did not take long for her to find what she had been looking for. There was a barrier and a kind of cloaking spell. It would take a little concentration to knock it down. If Tara had been by her side, it would have been so much easier.

"By the Goddess, please allow me entrance into this domain. I wish only to rescue one that is in danger." Willow paused to see if anything was yet happening. There was a tiny hole forming in front of her. "I pledge my allegiance to you Goddess and will forever be grateful. I am your servant, always."

With that, the barrier literally shattered into pieces. Once again Willow was careful as she made her way to the entrance of the crypt that she could now see. There appeared to be no vampires which surprised her quite a bit. Of course, with the power of the spell she had just broken through, they might not think anyone was capable of breaking it.

A growl from behind her told her that was not the case. Quickly, the witch turned to see that there were two vampires fully vamped out. There was actually drool running down the side of one of the vampires face. It made her ill to think about. The slightly taller of the two male vampires finally broke the silence. "You must be Willow. Spike was expecting you. We are to give you a proper greeting."

"If you must." Willow said it with more confidence then she really felt. It had been a long time since she had battled vampires. It had been longer still since she had tried to use her powers to defeat her enemy. Closing her eyes, she began concentrating on a spell that Tara had long ago taught her and that she had tinkered with. It was her favorite way to defeat vampires. But it took a lot of concentration. Hopefully she would be able to succeed before they struck.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. Willow felt a sharp pain on her left arm as one of the vampires cut her with a knife. The witch took every once of her strength to keep her concentration going. There was a piercing of her neck that drew a trickle of blood. It also made her lose a bit of concentration.

Just as the other vampire was about to sink his teeth into her, Willow threw both of them off from her with a force neither had ever felt. She let the ball of light grow until it was an actual ball of sun. After it had reached its peak, she threw the ball upon the two vampires who were instantly turned to ashes.

The witch felt a bit exhausted. It was not from the physical battle but from the magickal drain. Though she should stop and rest, she had to move on. Giles life was at stake. A lot of things were now at stake. Her life with Tara and the twins being the greatest motivation of all. Willow gathered herself and made her way slowly toward the entrance to the crypt.

Luckily for her, there were no more surprises. The door opened without a lot of effort. Slowly and cautiously, she made her way down into the depths. It seemed strange that a crypt would lead downward. But then, it was probably why Spike had chosen it. That way, he could descend into darkness whenever he needed.

Voices made her stop in her tracks. Carefully she listened. The only voice that she could make out was Spike's. The other one, she was not sure who it belonged to. But it was vaguely familiar as well. The witch carefully peered around the corner. There were about a half dozen vampires gathered in front of Spike. Behind them, chained to the wall was Giles.

Willow snuck into the back of the crypt. She tried to keep herself hidden. But there was one thing she had going against her. The wounds that she had received were like tracking a mouth to a flame. The blood hound vampires were on her in an instant. She was too tired to really fight at the moment.

"Leave her alone." Spike's voice made everyone turn toward him once again. "I wanted her to come. You see, she's not as good as everyone thinks she is. She'll do nicely in helping us serve The First. Now, bring her to me. Unharmed of course." After a moment of hesitation, the half dozen vampires grabbed her and dragged her to where their head vampire was. "Lovely to see you, Pet. Now, be a good girl and we'll all get along just fine."

Willow looked around the cavern. There were only the vampires, Giles, Spike and herself. Yet, she sensed something so much more. It was hard to describe exactly how she felt. All she knew was that there was another presence in the room with them. "But I am a good girl. At least, I try to be."

Spike leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Play along love. Fake going back to the dark side. I'm doing this for Buffy. You know that I love her. But she won't give me the time of day. So I figured, even if she never loved me, I could at least help her during this great battle. Be careful what you say and do. The walls have eyes and ears."

"I understand." Willow looked out among the few gathered around her. "I've pretended to be good for long enough. It's time that I show my true self. It's time that I pledge my allegiance to the ultimate evil." She turned quickly to face Giles. "And I know exactly where to start. It'll be my pleasure to destroy the watcher."

"Very good." A familiar voice made her turn around quickly. Standing there was Miss Calendar. "I was wondering if Spike were just stalling or if he really could produce you. I've been wanting you on my side ever since I watched you perform your evil acts. It was really a shame to let your real talents go to waste."

"I realize that now." Willow walked over to Giles. The poor watcher had been beaten. But she could tell it was mild to how Spike would have normally treated one of his victims. "This man always held me back. He knew from the beginning the potential I had. But now, it's too late for him and for all that follow him."

"Talk is cheap." Miss Calendar made her way over to Willow. "Actions speak louder. Now, you go and get the job done. I want it done before certain visitors should arrive."

"So be it." Willow took the knife that Spike handed her. She held it in her hand for a moment with her eyes closed. Though she was weak, she just had to gather enough strength to pull it off. It would take everything that she had. When she thought she was ready, she turned toward Giles. "In a way, I'm sorry to see you go. If only you could have used your knowledge to help out the winning side. It's so sad. A wasted death, really."

The young witch drew back the knife. As she plunged it deep into Giles throat, there was a spray of warm blood over all that stood too close. The vampires began shouting at the taste of the blood. Willow's eyes grew big as she realized what she had done. But she kept her composure. She could not let the first know that she hated what she had done.

* * *

Tara helped gather as many weapons as she could. Faith had brought over the rest of the potentials. The house was now quite crowded. The plan was for the dark haired slayer to stay with the potentials, along with Anya, while Xander, Buffy and Tara went after this latest big bad. Before she left, Tara did a special protection spell on her little ones and the entire house.

Before Buffy and Faith had arrived, Tara had attempted to recreate the spell that Buffy had described to her on the phone. It didn't take much to figure out what Willow had been after. It seemed that her girl was on a mission to redeem herself. That was the only explanation as to why she would go on her own.

It was another thing that Tara was starting to hate about their relationship. They had not talked much about anything since they had arrived back from England. Now, they had just had one of their biggest fights ever. The latest seemed to be how Willow didn't trust anyone. Or was it that she didn't trust herself?

Tara could understand that. But why was she having to try and prove herself all alone. The gang had been there for her through anything. Now would be no exception. They had all welcomed her back even though she had tried to destroy them. It made the blond feel that she was the one that was responsible for this.

Had she been able to talk things out better with Willow then perhaps her witch would not have insisted on doing this alone. It frightened her to think that Willow was out there by herself. If Spike truly was back to being evil, then there would be a great threat out there. Unlike normal vampires, he had always seemed to have a plan. And he always had an endless supply of lackeys that he could send to the slaughter instead of himself.

All that Tara wanted to do now was to forget about the first. Truth be told, she was feeling a bit selfish at the moment. For she wanted nothing more then to find Willow, take her back to their apartment, and spend the rest of their lives together. She didn't want to think about evil. All she wanted was to have a normal family for once.

But that was not going to happen. The witch had to face facts. Soon, they would be able to find Willow and hopefully rescue her from Spike's evil clutches. Though there were other possibilities, she chose to ignore them. Buffy was ignoring them as well. All the slayer would say was that this was a rescue mission. And they would succeed no matter what.

It was the no matter what part that frightened Tara. This Buffy had a darkness to her that their time had not. This Buffy had a lot harsher life, not that their Buffy's life had been a piece of cake. Would she destroy her best friend if it meant saving the world? Tara had no doubt as to the answer of that question.

That was why it was that much more important that she herself be able to find Willow. Though they were not seeing eye to eye, she would be the only one that would be able to get through to them. Of course, Xander would also be a good choice. It was he that was the one that had talked her down the last time that she had gone all evil. Would it be her or would it be Xander when the time came?

Either way, she just wanted her Willow back. Buffy had asked more then once if she was all right. Apparently, her breathing was a bit ragged. It was just because she was still having trouble breathing knowing that there was a strain between she and Willow. If things had not been so ugly between them the night before, she would not be feeling so bad.

Finally, the three made it to the spot that Tara had sworn was where Willow had gone. At first glance, it looked like a vacant lot surrounded by a cemetery. But there was the slightest of cracks now in the cloak that had been established. "Willow's been here. She would be one of the few witches powerful enough to break through this kind of barrier."

"But how long ago?" Buffy did not wait for an answer. Instead, she kept going straight through the barrier. "It figures that we would end up at a crypt. The three made their way to the entrance, ever on the alert for attackers. "Hold it a sec." The slayer let the air waft by her nose. "I smell blood. It's fresh. There was a fight here." The slayer smelled a little more before heading for the entrance. "The trail leads to inside. Everyone, be on their guard."

Tara was trying to think of a single spell that could help in this situation. She knew of barriers, but they all had to be from a fixed point. Most likely, they would be on the move the entire time that they were in the crypt. Then she remembered something that the coven had taught her. It was just after Willow had gone evil. She had never actually gotten a chance to perform the spell. If she had to, she would.

Buffy halted them just before the tunnel lead to an opening. There were voices coming from inside. One was definitely Spike's. The other one surprised them all a bit. It was definitely Willow inside. The way that she and Spike were talking was if they were both evil again. Something had happened to Giles, that much was clear.

The slayer motioned for them to follow her. They tried to sneak in, but half a dozen vampires surrounded them in an instant. Spike and Willow both made their way over to the gang was standing. It was Spike that did all the talking. "Look what we've got here. Seems that the slayer has come calling." He turned toward Willow. "I wonder what the boss will want done with them. Not sure if he wants us to keep her alive or not."

"Only one way to find out." Willow made her way to Buffy. "Nice to see you, old friend. Too bad it's under such circumstances. After all, you're too late to save Giles. You should have figured out where I was going sooner. But I guess the spell I did was too great for any of you to break through."

Tara looked at her wife. There was something about her. This was not the evil woman that she had faced not that long ago. Yet, she spoke like she was in total control and doing the bidding of The First. "What do you mean, we're too late. What did you do to Giles?"

"Nothing much." Willow shrugged her shoulders. She sauntered up to Tara. She leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Giles is fine. But he won't be unless you get him out of here. The First is watching and listening to us. He's lying over behind the giant rock. Be careful when you move him. He's been beaten badly." Tara jerked back as if offended. Willow was proud of her girl more then ever at that moment. "What? You used to love it when I talked dirty into your ear."

"And you used to be the most powerful witch I knew." Tara raised her arms and set a harmless bolt at Willow. Without missing a beat, she did the same thing to Spike. Both fell down and acted like they had been truly shocked. "Now!"

Buffy and Xander began engaging the vampires. Tara ran over to where Spike was down on the ground. He looked up at her and gave her a little wink. "Have another, you scumbag." Another harmless bolt hit him. Tara finally made it to where Giles was laying. It looked like he'd been slaughter more then beat up. But she could feel that spell that was making him look dead.

"Can you get him?" Xander shouted. There were now only three vampires left. Tara shook her head. "Buffy, you handle these three. I'll go help Tara." The carpenter moved quickly and picked up the seemingly lifeless body of Giles. "Let's get out of here."

"You two go. I'll be right behind you." Tara ran after them, but stopped at where Willow still lay on the ground. In her mind, she spoke to her everything. 'I can't leave you here.' 'Yes you can. I'll get out when I can. Go. Be safe. Keep the little ones safe. I love you.' 'I love you too.' A single tear rolled down her cheek as she left her everything behind. If her insides were bleeding before, she was now going to drown in her own blood. That's how painful it was to leave her Willow behind.


End file.
